Raising 4

From Jada

2012-02-02T22:48:00.000-06:00

**** For chores, our kids have wipe-off checklists that they use. There is one checklist for each section of the house. This week, Jada had laundry*****

Jada: (dramatically huffing and puffing while hauling a clothes basket up the stairs). I just can't do this. Help HELP help!!!!!!!!!! Woah, oh no! Ok, ok I can do this. (stops for a break). (moaning) If only I'd eaten three biscuits and had 20 glasses of apple juice, then MAYBE I could do this!!!

(Stops for a break)

(loudly continues) All right, let's go.... too many clothes, too many clothes. Ok, I made it! WHEW!!!!

Me: Jada, someday if you have kids, you are going to have to haul laundry baskets everyday, then what are you going to do?

Jada: I'm going to bring your checklists and give them to my kids. THEN I won't have to DO anything!!!

Jada: (laughing) What are you going to do when I'm a teenager????

Me: Good question.

Most "Colorful Clubber" Night at Awana!

2012-01-26T20:42:00.000-06:00

Sledding!

2012-01-26T20:38:00.001-06:00

This winter, we have hardly had any snow. This does not bother me at all, in fact, I love it. Our kids, however, were super excited that we finally got some significant snow over the weekend. After we finished school yesterday I decided to take them sledding. Our yard is flat, and so is our neighborhood, so we had to drive to a hill. The kids were mostly happy to go, and we got to the car with only one mini tantrum and one full blown screaming fit (both by the same child, who shall remain nameless).

Once we got to the hill, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it went! I fully expected Micah to not be a happy sledder, but he was perfectly content to be pulled around at the bottom of the hill while his siblings played. I was also surprised that Zachary was able to make it to the top and climb in a sled without much trouble. Jada was very helpful and eager to take Zachary down the hill. Ethan was happy to sled by himself, and not so happy to share with Zachary (yikes!). The sledding fun ended a bit early for Ethan, as he kicked his sled across the field when he missed the jump he was aiming for. The advice to "Try try again" was not an acceptable option to him....

He can walk (alternately titled, It's about time!)

2012-01-05T22:46:00.000-06:00

Micah

is so

excited!

He can

walk!!!

A Lost Tooth!

2012-01-05T22:41:00.001-06:00

When Jada lost her first tooth at five years, four months, I thought that she was too little to lose teeth. In fact, I didn't believe her when she told me she had a loose tooth. A year later, she has six teeth out and says a seventh is loose!

So... when Ethan kept telling me that he had a loose tooth, I thought he was copying Jada. Jada has been known to make a rather big show out of losing teeth (HELP HELP!!! NO NO, don't touch, don't TOUCH it! OK, wiggle it, NOOOOO, don't touch it....). About a week ago, he told me his tooth was almost out and showed me. He did have a loose tooth and apparently had had it for quite some time, as it was hanging by a thread. Three days later, it was out! He was so proud:) And, he was even earlier than Jada at four years, 10 months.

Zachary is 3!

2011-12-29T20:46:00.001-06:00

Our sweet boy is three today! He spent his day at home playing with his toys. He got a spiderman mask, 2 "Where's Waldo" books, and an addition to our train set. He is so cute and precious, I don't know what we'd do without him!! He was running around this morning with his froggy blanket. He just loves froggy, and I love wathcing him with froggy because I know it will only last a little bit longer. We love you Zachary!!

We started out the day with colored oatmeal... he was thrilled as you can see.

opening his first gift

A spiderman mask!

A pirate cake, as requested.

working hard to blow out all 3 candles!

more gifts under the "birthday tree"

And, because I think these are funny, here are a couple of Micah!

4 Years

2011-12-29T20:35:00.004-06:00

" Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away."

Merry Christmas!!!!

2011-12-25T23:21:00.000-06:00

Dan and I always celebrate with the kids on Christmas Eve, so all but the last picture are from then. We had a great day, enjoying our kids and the GREEN Christmas! I know that most people want snow on Christmas, but I was so excited to not have snow. The unseasonably warm weather was also a plus, the kids were able to go outside and play on the swingset (the swings were long buried at this time last year).

Star Wars was a theme for gifts this year, both Ethan and Zachary got costumes. Darth Vader and a Storm Trooper have been running around for the last 24 hours... and I never realized that storm troopers had so many meltdowns..... All four kids got superhero capes (probably not the best project for my first sewing attempt, but they turned out cute and the kids didn't notice the crooked stitches!). Jada got a tea set for her American Girl Doll and has been busy serving whoever comes downstairs. Micah got typical "fourth-child-we-have-enough-one-year-old-toys" treatment, and received a pack of nuks and bath soap. Both were much needed and put to good use.

We usually go out to lunch on Christmas Eve. Since Jada was a baby, we have gone to the same restaurant at the Mall of America, but this year we decided to stay a little closer to home and took the kids to their favorite pizza restaurant instead.... which I think they like better anyway!

Today, we went to church in the morning and then to my parent's house this afternoon (minus Dan, who was not feeling well). Rounds 2 and 3 with Dan's family are coming later this week, and then one very special boy is turning three on Thursday!!

Merry Christmas everyone, Happy Birthday Jesus!!

Jada's List

2011-12-12T23:32:00.001-06:00

With her "money" earned from doing chores, Jada bought a journal today. She asked me what she was supposed to do with a journal, and I told her it was a place to draw pictures and write down her thoughts. So, you can imagine my concern when I glanced at the first entry:

I want the toys that I want.

I want playdough

A nuk for Micah

Printer paper for Mommy (!?)

Dad wants pop

I love Zachary (finally, a nice thought)

I need playdough

Ethan wants playdough

We have to go to the store.

No, she does not have perfect spelling, I corrected it. This was also accompanied by a picture of her and I holding hands.... I think we were supposed to be at Target. Not sure what to make of the playdough obsession, we have tons of it

Finally a new post!!!

2011-12-07T23:16:00.001-06:00

It has been awhile.... I am going to make three excuses, one word each: Micah, homeschooling, projects (of the home improvement kind.... who knew that painting a living room could take so long?)

For your entertainment (because it certainly did not entertain me) I present, my morning:

It actually started out rather well. I woke up and was able to get breakfast in the oven before the kids got up. I went downstairs to wake up Jada and Ethan, Jada immediately ran upstairs and found me and said, "I WONDER what YOU have in that oven?!" My kids are always very concerned that I am either going to forget to feed them or make them something they hate. We have had too many temper tantrums over the food not being what they want, so I have quit telling them what we are having until it is in front of them.

I went upstairs to get Micah and Zachary up. I went to pick up Micah and noticed that his diaper had quite literally exploded from the weight (think, gel beads everywhere). While I got the bath ready, Zachary began badgering me about what I was making him to eat. At this point, I was elbow deep in gel beads and.... other things. As I bathed Micah, I looked at our broken shower head (Come on Zach, wet's DIVE!!!... and crack went the nice double shower head) and remembered that the replacement was supposed to come today.

After getting Micah out of the bath and drying him off, Jada slinks in again to make sure that I have not forgotten about breakfast. I hear her head out to the living room and apparently report to Ethan who asks, " Jada, does SHE have ANY food out there for us?" Ummm, excuse me, SHE is getting to it. At this point I informed them that I was almost done cleaning up the mess, and if they were so hungry maybe they could set the table. This was met with icy glares and a monotone, "I'm reading right now." SIGH

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T20:16:00.001-06:00

This year, we had Dorothy (with a "ruby" bow instead of shoes), a scary pirate, a policeman, and a fireman. All four went trick or treating, but Micah did not go as far as the others. The weather could not be mistaken for warm, but it was much better than I remember last year being!

Just playin' trains

2011-10-26T21:35:00.000-06:00

Now that the weather has turned cooler:( we are busy playing trains again. Yes, that is lotion in Micah's hand. He is obsessed with it, no idea why.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-26T21:31:00.001-06:00

We took our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch a couple weeks ago. For the first time, we did not have the kids dress up in their costumes, as there was quite a bit of resistance last year from Jada, and there is always resistance from Ethan:) It was a nice warm day, so we decided to go through the corn maze. We got a little lost, which made Ethan very distrustful and decide that he doesn't like corn mazes and will not go in one again. ever.

I like these pictures of Zachary and Micah. They were all taken within seconds of each other. Zachary is being our little engineer lining everything up, and Micah is in action!

Micah looks a little "doped up" in this picture, but he wasn't... as can be seen in the bottom picture!

Apple Picking

2011-10-26T21:16:00.000-06:00

We went apple picking much earlier in the month... the picking season was done the first weekend in October. We had kind of a late start to summer which shortened the growing season. Once things started growing, they were stopped (at least in my garden) by an early frost in September (which I was more than happy to miss out on in Myrtle Beach)! We were glad to get our apples when we did, and we spent the next week making and canning applesauce!

Back to Myrtle Beach and the loooonnngg drive home

2011-09-25T18:54:00.000-06:00

The rest of the trip was spent doing lots more swimming and photo shoots at the ocean. I took Micah's one year pictures, and Jada's six year pictures. I also took some of Ethan and Zachary and attempted to get a group shot. ***** can not for the life of me figure out why most of these pictures are flipping....

The second to the last day we were there, the weather cooled off considerably (though not as considerably as Minnesota... side note: hard freeze while it is still summer = morale killer for drive home). We went out to the longest pier in Myrtle Beach. The kids had fun seeing all the fishing going on, and we even got to see someone hook a shark! I took a cute picture of all the kids, but blogger is acting up, so I will upload it later if I remember.

The drive home has no pictures.... intentional on my part. I don't want to say that it was miserable because I truly loved driving and seeing the country. Stopping and seeing George and Tina in Nashville was very fun (Rachel, next time you need to be there!!), driving through St. Louis and seeing the arch was also a high point.

However, the kids were ready to be out of the car pretty much from the moment we set out. Micah, who had been a model baby on the way out, passed the time by whining. Ethan flitted from tantrum to tantrum, and Jada was not feeling the greatest. We did the trip home in two days instead of three because it turned out that in addition to being a pill in the car, Micah strongly objected to the hotel room (as in we received a complaint about the noise level in our room). The best hissy fit quote from the drive home though, belongs to Zachary:

Two quotes actually, the first was at breakfast on the last driving day. He decided to get up and walk around with his plate and I told him to sit:

Z: NOOOOO, Don't you CALL me SIT DOWN!!!! (takes off)

The second was when we were going out to the car and I asked he and Ethan to hold hands:

Z: I will not hold hands, I will walk all by myself (so I grabbed the back of his shirt as he took off for the parking lot) You wet go of me!!!! Dis is 'stoopit' I will SPIT! (and he did), then he tossed his frog blanket out the car door once he was in.

We were very glad to be home near midnight that night.... until I stepped out of the car and was hit by arctic Minnesota wind, and had to go get my winter coat!? When we'd last stopped it was still 70 and sunny, but such is life in the north.

Overall, it was a great trip and we are very thankful that my parents let us use their beautiful house!!! So happy that our babies got to see the ocean, we will be back!

Disney World

2011-09-24T17:39:00.000-06:00

After Savannah, we drove another five hours down to Orlando and spent the next few days in Disney World! We stayed at the Dolphin, which was nice and convenient. It had a big pool, but we only got to use it once. The nicest part about the hotel was that it had a ferry to Hollywood Studios; the ferry was easier and quicker than taking a bus.

We visited two parks this time, the first was Magic Kingdom:

The next day, we slept in and then walked around Downtown Disney before heading to Hollywood Studios the rest of the day (as in, until the park closed).

In the two above pictures: Ethan, who had been begging for his picture to be taken, flipped out and wouldn't stand by the Toy Story soldier. He also refused to stand by Lightning and Mader (below). He LOVED the Stars Wars ride, but still didn't want his picture taken.... maybe next time?

So, tired that he fell asleep in his stroller waiting for the ferry. Yes, that is a leash on him! He wore it both days and it was worth every penny we spent on it:)

The next day, we drove eight hours back up to Myrtle Beach, Dan flew home a couple days later and the kids and I had another vacation week! We love you Disney!!! Thanks for a great time, we can't wait to go back!!

Savannah!

2011-09-23T18:10:00.000-06:00

After Dan flew in we left on a "mini road trip" to Savannah and Orlando. Sadly (or not) Micah was not along. We determined that he was far to wiggly and would not enjoy himself (and then we would not enjoy ourselves) so he was left in Myrtle Beach with my parents. He was spoiled and had a great time... but I did miss my baby!

From Myrtle Beach to Orlando is about eight hours. We decided to break it up into two days and stop in Savannah (about halfway). Actually, I was the one who decided to do this because I really really really wanted to see Savannah. We planned on taking a trolley tour or the city once we got there, and I thought that since we would be tired of sitting in the car it would be fun to walk (HA!)..........................

..................... I'm trying to write about what happened next (Savannah and Ethan) and I just can't find the words, how does one explain the unexplainable? Would it be easier to say that Jada and Zachary were very good and let you draw your own conclusions? I will try and sum it up: loud, angry screams the entire walk to the trolley. I'M TIRED, I WANT TO SLEEP, I DON'T WIKE DIS! I WANT TO STOP! I AM HOT! I WANT DIS BACATION TO END NOW! He could not be talked down. Imagine how we felt when after promising a trolley ride if he'd just pipe down, we found the trolley place closed. I had not copied a phone number and do not have a phone with internet access. There are many trolley companies, but we weren't about to attempt to find them with Ethan in rare form (or not so rare form, sad to say). He began to scream at me MAKE DEM OPEN! YOU GO IN THE DOOR! YOU GET ON DAT TWOLLEY! AAAHHHHHH!!!! At this point, I vowed never again to judge another parent whose child is having a complete meltdown. I certainly did not react the way I'd always thought I'd react (remain perfectly calm, get on his level and deliver a perfectly worded lecture designed to calm him down and make him see reason). Nope, Dan and I just looked at eachother, Dan swung him over his shoulder and we decided to go check in to our hotel. Dan made the comment that it was three hours before we were supposed to check in, and I commented back that they were going to have to put up with us in the lobby if they didn't let us into our room.

Fortunately, our room was ready. Ethan was calmed, and we salvaged the day by going out to eat at one of the many restaurants. The kids had a great time, and we walked by the river afterwards. They loved seeing a huge cargo ship come into the port.

Then, we went back to our hotel and the kids swan for a while. The pool was on the roof and they thought that was really neat! Savannah was just beautiful, I hope we can go back and actually take a tour next time!

We went out to eat at the "Pirate's House," It is an old restaurant and very fun! The hotel recommended it for the kids and we were not disappointed!

Myrtle Beach August 31-September 4

2011-09-22T12:38:00.001-06:00

Micah had quite the attitude in the pool. He thought he should be able to be on his own; he did NOT appreciate being held!

I got the older three each a pair of water wings.

Micah's usual response to being held.

Jada making handprints in the sand. This was at a man made beach by my parents house.

And my favorite.... the ocean!! This was the kids' first time seeing it. After calming some fears over being swallowed by whales and eaten by sharks, they were able to have fun. Note to self: Do NOT let Dan show them National Geographic's great white shark special before coming here.

The kids were very impressed by the waves. All were appropriately cautious except for Micah. He crawled straight for the waves and screamed when I pulled him back. He was given a pail and shovel for distraction and decided to eat sand instead. The next time we went... he was not invited:)

Day 3: Knoxville TN to Myrtle Beach SC

2011-09-21T19:00:00.000-06:00

The final day of travel was the day things started to unravel in the car. Garbage was not as carefully thrown away, the dvds were rolling much more than they were, and Micah let us know that he was about to lose his mind. However, my mom drove quite a bit so I could look at the scenery, and I loved it! Tennessee is beautiful with its mountains! Watching the landscape change as we got closer to the ocean was fun too. We do not see Palm trees in Minnesota, so I really liked seeing them once we crossed into South Carolina.

We got about an hour from my parents house when Ethan icily informed me that he was done with vacation. He wanted to know when I would be taking him home. When I didn't answer he said, "How about NOW?!"

When we were about five minutes from my parents' house, Ethan started screaming that he "HAD TO GO POTTY BBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDD!" We ended up pulling over to the side of the road and he was horrified that I wanted him to "water a bush." He told me that he would not be going and began to have a tantrum. I convinced him to go, and as he went, he glowered over his shoulder at anyone who was looking his way.

We finally made it to Myrtle Beach! The kids were so tired and were in bed as soon as possible. Zachary had grown devil horns on the way down and really just needed to end his day. Micah protested a little bit, but went to sleep quickly. Jada fluctuated between being helpful and being a pill. I won't name the child who was the biggest pill of all.... We are going to relax, and enjoy the pools and the ocean for the next week. Then Dan flies in and we head to Orlando!

Road Trip Day 2: Lebanon to Knoxville Tennessee

2011-09-21T07:07:00.002-06:00

Sleeping was interesting to say the least. Micah did not like the crib they brought in for him. At home he really likes kicking his crib bumpers and snuggling up against them. Of course, there were no crib bumpers here and he kept getting his foot stuck. He was able to settle down and go to sleep, but I had to hold him for quite a while.

Ethan and Micah had middle-of-the-night coughing attacks that I think must have been brought on by allergies. A little bit of Zyrtec helped clear that up. I ended up sleeping at the foot of the bed because Zachary insisted on sleeping horizontally.

The next morning, we were back on the road around 9. It was supposed to be 8, but I forgot to change time zones when I set my alarm. We stopped outside of Lexington for lunch and the kids had fun in the rocking chairs on the front porch. Micah and Zachary had a tough time during the afternoon ride. Zachary kept throwing his frog on the floor and then asking me to, "Pick up my fresh frog!!!!!!!!!!!" He got really mad when I stopped picking it up for him. Micah was just tired of being in his car seat, and was soothed by a granola bar.

Jada and Ethan did really good at the hotel and loved the pool. Micah crawled around like a madman, and Zachary did mostly good with periods of doing really bad. The hotel had a restaurant where the kids ate free. By this point, I knew that what the two little guys really needed was to go to bed, but that they had to eat too. So.... you can imagine how dinner went. I pretty much went into survival mode and used anything I could to entertain. Among other things, Micah nibbled on a packet of sugar and tried to see how many times I would pick his nuk up for him. Zachary got out of his chair 8945 times.

After dinner my mom took Jada and Ethan swimming and I stayed back in the room to get Zachary and Micah to bed. There was much protesting but it is finally quiet. It hopefully will be a quiet night; there is someone staying in the room next door... I feel like I should apologize in advance for the noise.

Road Trip Day 1: Minnesota to Lebanon, Indiana

2011-09-20T17:45:00.006-06:00

*** We just got back from an awesome vacation. The next several posts were all written from the road, but I delayed publishing them till we got back.

We got up at 3:30 AM and amazingly all made it to the car and out of the driveway by 4:00. With the exception of one very cranky traveler, everyone was happy and willingly got in the car. The kids all fell asleep and didn’t wake up till around 7:00. We ate breakfast on the road and didn’t stop for a break until around 9:00. I started out driving and my mom took over once we were close to Chicago.

Then we stopped for lunch once we got out of Chicago.

Me made it to Lebanon Indiana and spent the night at the Holiday Inn. The kids had fun swimming for a couple hours, then we took a walk and went to bed. They all went down pretty easily except for 20 minutes of an irate Micah.

Micah is 1!

2011-09-01T12:57:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday to you....

Happy birthday

dear

Micah!

Happy

birthday

you!

First Front Tooth Out!!

2011-08-29T17:48:00.000-06:00

After much wiggling, Jada's first front tooth fell out the other day. She spent the afternoon cleaning her room so that the tooth fairy could get through. It's kind of funny, we haven't done Santa or the Easter Bunny with out kids, but when she lost her first tooth, I mentioned that the tooth fairy would have to come. I thought that she would know it was pretend, but I totally have her going with it!

Jada Quotes

2011-08-24T22:03:00.000-06:00

Jada: Mom, I am having SOOOO much fun!!! We are playing that I get to be adopted by Kaitlyn!!!!!!!!

This was not the first time she has wanted to be adopted. She also likes to pretend that Micah is her sister.

This gem was overheard a while ago:

Jada to Micah: I prayed for a little girl with red hair. (voice turns menacing) And YOU are a little boy with red hair! (sighs loudly)

2011-08-22T21:50:00.000-06:00

The other day, I was in the middle of making dinner and I couldn't find the recipe. The kids noticed that I was looking for something and immediately suggested that they pray about it. Ethan took the lead and prayed very loudly that I would find my recipe card. I did find it about 30 seconds after they were done praying. As I was telling them about how God listens when we pray and answers our prayers, Ethan sighed and said, "Ummm, Mom, maybe next time you could just wook it up on your computer." I think you might have to know Ethan to really appreciate how this sounded,

Party Time!

2011-08-13T18:43:00.000-06:00

Thank you to everyone who came to Micah and Jada's party this afternoon! We are so thankful to have all of you in our lives!!

I finally updated our homeschool blog!

2011-08-09T22:07:00.003-06:00

http://h-homeschoolblog.blogspot.com/

Jada is 6!

2011-08-09T21:55:00.000-06:00

We started out the day with pink pancakes

flip flop birthday cake (got the idea from Betty Crocker website)

The queen bee

lunch at the American Girl Bistro. Today was the day Jada got to pick out her "big" American Girl doll. She has had the Bitty Baby for a couple of years, and we had told her that when she turned six, she could get the bigger doll. We looked online ahead of time, so she knew which one she wanted.

hot dog roast for dinner!

SIX candles! Can I stop time now? Six is more than old enough.

You can see Micah's back in the left corner of the picture. In the picture before this (which I didn't post), he was completely in it. I was glad Dan managed to get one of just Jada and I. Micah has already been in a picture with me this week... he will be featured for the next four years on my drivers license.

The doll. She wanted one that looked like her, and she has already named it after herself. This was the closest we got. It has red hair, but not the same shade as her. It was the only red headed doll with blue eyes. It came with one outfit and she used money that she'd earned from doing chores to buy a second outfit. Mothers of boys only (hi Lori): your wallets will breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they will not be subjected to this store. Lets just say, this doll has clothes that cost more than most things in my closet:)

opening more gifts at home

Happy birthday Jada, we love you lots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And another quotes post:)

2011-08-07T21:28:00.001-06:00

Zachary: Efin, do you want a kiss?

Ethan: Ummm, I don't really want a kiss right now Zach, but thanks for offering!

We recently changed churches. Zachary was not a fan of the new nursery until they gave him fruitsnacks. Now, he asks if he is going to his "fruitsnack nursery."

A few pictures

2011-08-06T21:28:00.000-06:00

I have not been great about getting the camera out lately, this will most likely change since Jada's birthday is on Tuesday and she and Micah have their party on Saturday.

It has been hot here and we have been enjoying lots of pool and hose time. We have also taken advantage of the pool up at our condo since we've had to be up there cleaning for our new tenants.

Ethan can be kind of a "diva" sometimes. He like to sunbathe, and can get very particular about it. Please ignore the pile of weeds, which is actually my garden, behind him.

Micah would like everyone to know that trains are much more fun when chewed on.

We had a cousins swimming party in July. We had lots of fun, but missed Simon and Kuba!

More quotes (before I forget)

2011-07-22T20:24:00.000-06:00

Jada: (singing, loudly, off key, and to no particular tune), "Someday, we're going to heaven, and we'll get new bodies that are fresh and clean and NEVER get sick... AND I"LL LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!! They'll ne SUUUPPER COOL!!!! JESUS, take me out of this place... I don't really like it that much! But I like YOU, I like YOU!! Take me out of here, take me out of here, take me out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zachary: (He was looking for a gun so that he could go play "shoot guns" with Ethan and our neighbor)
Me: How about you use this instead, and pretend it is a gun (a toy drill).
Zachary: (expressionless, monotone voice) Dat is not a gun, dat is a tool.

Some Quotes

2011-07-19T21:54:00.000-06:00

Ethan: Hey Mom, are guns better than light sabers or are light sabers better than guns?

Jada: (while we were over cleaning out our condo to make it ready for new renters) looking critically around her old room, "It is a LITTLE small in here."

Zachary: Wets go and check on dat spwinkler, Mom, okay? We need to see whats goin' on!

Micah: Dadadadadad.... dadadadada (all this while Dan is at work) dadadadadad. Dadada (while looking up at me) dadadada
Jada: He doesn't say Mom! He must really want his Daddy!!! (laughs to herself) He only says Mom when he cries!!

2011-07-13T21:12:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July, I made lots of food because I was testing some recipes for Micah's rocket themed birthday party next month! We didn't have to go anywhere for fireworks, my Dad brought some over and gave us a private display in our backyard. Ethan and Zachary decided that they didn't like the noise and watched from inside. Micah had gone to bed quite a bit earlier and miraculously didn't wake up! Happy 4th of July everyone!

Pool Fun

2011-07-11T21:07:00.000-06:00

2011-07-10T21:00:00.003-06:00

This boy, may very well be my yard helper. He shows a lot of interest in the garden and the lawn. He likes to help me, and was the only one this spring to show up at my side and "help" pull out our very stubborn and very ugly shrub. Yard work is always more fun with a helper, especially such a cute one!

These are the faces that Micah makes when he wants the camera out of his face!

2011-07-09T20:57:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Dan!!

2011-07-07T20:54:00.001-06:00

Daddy and all his kids on his birthday a few weeks ago!

T-Ball

2011-07-06T20:00:00.001-06:00

Ethan started t-ball a couple of weeks ago. He was a little confused at first because he is used to playing baseball and his capable of hitting a ball when it is pitched at him. He wasn't sure about hitting off the tee, and asked me, "But, t-ball is baseball, right?" He is very enthusiastic now. He had a short game tonight (they spend most of the time working on skills), he hit the ball on the first try, ran all the bases, and fielded the ball twice. Yes, I was proud:) His team is called the trouts, and if you ask him, trouts are, "Big scary with with teeth that eat other fish!!" Ummm, sort of.

2011-07-05T21:22:00.000-06:00

How is it that my baby is almost 1?????? And how am I ever going to choose which picture to use for his party invitations?

2011-07-05T20:46:00.000-06:00

Micah would like to take this moment to show you just how slimy his hands can get while he's eating... he also wants to let you know that he can stick he entire nuk in his mouth.

2011-06-13T06:59:00.000-06:00

Ethan started soccer a couple of weeks ago. He is quite enthusiastic about it... if you know him, you can picture this:) He is a natural leader and it is fun to see some of his skills starting to develop in a positive way. Jada and Zachary are all of the sudden soccer experts and like to shout at him from the sidelines whenever he does anything wrong. Jada is actually quite the little hypocrite with this since she played soccer less year with much. less. enthuiasm. If you know her, you can picture this...

My Beautiful Girl!

2011-06-13T06:52:00.000-06:00

Micah at 9 months

2011-06-10T21:22:00.000-06:00

Always has the nuk in upside down

Notice the cat running away

Batter Up!

2011-06-09T15:48:00.001-06:00

2011-06-07T21:11:00.000-06:00

Overheard from Zachary while he was flipping through a children's Bible...

Dis is Noah, Dese are animals, dis is Joseph,... Oooohhh DIS IS FIRE!!! YAY YAY YAY YAY for da FIRE!!!! (claps)... Ooohhh dis is sad, Jesus died, dey were not nice to him... Where is dat fire??

I'm pretty sure the fire he was talking about was the story about Elijah calling down fire from heaven.

2011-06-01T22:28:00.000-06:00

I took all four kids to the doctor today for Micah's well baby check. Zachary thought it would be fun to push Micah's stroller all over the tiny exam room, Ethan felt the need to tell the doctor that she had on "silly glasses," and Jada critiqued my parenting:

Doctor: Does he have any teeth yet?
Jada: Yes, he has two!
Doctor: Do you brush them?
Jada: (in a condescending voice) You really need to do that Mom.
Me: Zachary! Leave. the. stroller. alone. Ethan! stop racing the car! Zachary! sit! (Zachary takes off screaming to the other end of the 4x5 room).
Ethan: Zachawy is NOT sitting.
Doctor: Do you have any concerns about him?
Jada: No
Me: About who?
Doctor: How much is he nursing?
Micah: Hears the word "nurse", decides to give a demo, and frantically starts groping at my shirt.
Ethan: Begins making monkey noises
Me: Quiet.
Ethan: He is still NOT SITTING!!!!!!!!!!!!

and on and on and on...

This week

2011-05-27T22:04:00.000-06:00

I took all four on a major grocery shopping trip. I have not done that in awhile... and will not do it again for a LONG while..

I did learn a couple things on said trip. Mainly, that Micah's latest goal is to figure out how to escape from a cart, and that no matter how organized I think I am before going in it is not good enough.

The cat escaped and ran back in the house with a bird. My heart just about stopped. Of course, Dan was not home. There was someone doing some work on the house next door and he came to my rescue. The bird survived; I have almost forgiven the cat.

Jada has learned to ride a two wheeler!

Jada and I enjoyed a couple of bike rides on the trails behind our neighborhood.

I took the kids on a bike ride and picnic today. It took a turn for the worst when Ethan's training wheel slipped. The screams could be heard throughout the neighborhood... Trying to get him to walk his bike home was met with much resistance. I ended up loading him in the bike trailer with Zachary and Micah. In case you were wondering, you can exceed the fifty pound weight limit...

We had a rainy day a few days ago, and the basement was trashed by the end of it. The kids did some cleaning as part of their chores, but I still have to go down and finish it up.

I took all the kids to our condo (where we used to live when J & E were babies) to get an extra key. Jada told me that she was very upset that we didn't live there anymore. Ethan freaked out every time he heard noise above us while Jada told him that it was a "Really nice hotel!!"

I was very thankful for our house by the time we left. I had forgotten how many doors you have to go through just to get to the front door of our unit.

2011-05-27T21:48:00.000-06:00

Everyone before heading out to Owen's dedication a few weeks ago. Don't they all look so cute? Ethan and Zachary wore the green shirts a couple Easter's ago. I wanted the next size up for Ethan so that all three boys could match. Who knew that it would be so hard to find? I finally posted it on a ISO (in search of) board and got a response a couple weeks later. Needless to say, I was thrilled (and maybe a bit obsessed sometimes).

2011-05-27T21:44:00.000-06:00

Micah outgrew the infant seat. It was expired and needed to be thrown out (which to me was very very sad:) So, before it got tossed to the curb, I had all four pose with it. Yes, I know it's corny... I don't care.

Happy Mother's Day!!

2011-05-08T20:33:00.000-06:00

Outside

2011-05-01T11:55:00.000-06:00

2011-04-28T13:10:00.002-06:00

- "When I'm done with my chores, I'm going to go and pway in a way dat I know is wight. I'm not going to shoot ANYBODY!" -Ethan

Mohawk

2011-04-27T09:28:00.001-06:00

Today

2011-04-26T20:58:00.000-06:00

It was raining (but not snowing!!!!) all day
We all ventured out to the grocery store because Micah was out of baby food
It turns out that Micah was a very ungrateful shopper (considering the trip was for him)
I drove around the parking lot until I found a cart big enough
This was not our tiny corner grocery store, the kids were impressed with how big it was
Ethan got a bloody nose on the way to the store
There was much screaming from the back seat, I couldn't do much except toss kleenex in his general direction
Jada said, "I know JUST what to do."
The bleeding stopped before we got to the store
Hopefully the stains will come out of his clothes

2011-04-25T22:59:00.000-06:00

I think that Ethan looks like Micah in this picture

2011-04-24T21:10:00.000-06:00

Coloring Easter eggs the day before...

Who knew that this could be such a stressful activity? (for me, not them) PLEASE don't throw the egg in the water, WATCH out, you're going to spill... NO Zachary, don't stir so hard... Oh Ethan, green dye everywhere... Ethan told me, "I'm just gonna say 'Oh wats, I spilled,' then I'll move on."

Easter morning egg hunt

We had a couple very enthusiastic participants...

Not everyone was willing to hunt...

Or look at the camera....

Eventually we got a half smile...

The very best Easter baby!

The best picture of all four, Happy Easter everyone!!

2011-04-22T06:15:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged all of April! It may have something to do with this terrible weather we've been having:) When I was younger, I was determined that Minnesota was NOT going to be my home for the rest of my life... then I met Dan, and I got over living here. And really, have not had much of a problem with it... until this winter. This winter has been the worst, snowiest, longest, coldest (from mid November until now) that I can remember. Dan and I have both threatened multiple times to leave the state... however, the tiny detail of owning two homes and having jobs here is getting in the way:) Anyway, all that to say that bad weather sometimes slows me down (right Mom?).

Without further ado, here is a conversation I had with Ethan:

Me: Ethan, can you pray for Jada to feel better?
Jada: (in her best "sick" voice) Yes Ethan, pray for me!
Ethan: I don't want to pray for that.
Me: Well, when someone is sick, it is a good idea to pray for them.
Ethan: I'll pray for Butterscotch.
Me: No, please pray for Jada.
Ethan: I DON'T WANT TO!!! (begins to pray for the cat, and the bookshelf, and anything else to avoid Jada)
Me: Ethan, we are not getting up until you ask God to help Jada feel better.
Ethan: (rolls his eyes, gives a huge sigh and looks toward heaven) OKAY I'M GONNA TELL YOU ALL ABOUT HER NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Micah is learning to crawl, but is not quite there yet. This is quite frustrating for him; he copes with his frustration by demanding to be carried around, mainly during dinnertime. He has also decided that his goal in life is to see how long he can drag out diaper changes by twisting his body every which way while he is getting changed. He actually thinks this is quite funny:) He is eating very well, and sometimes even sleeping all night! He has yet to meet a good he doesn't like.

After a bout with strep throat (a first for us!) Jada is on the mend, though did revel in being sick for awhile. She likes to tell me that she still has a little bit of a fever, and is thrilled to still be on antibiotics. She is looking forward to finishing up school next week and being on "summer" vacation (We started school late July and only took a small break when Micah was born).

Zachary's newest thing is to tell me what I can't do: You can't change me! You can't wipe my rumpus! You can't talk to me!! He is a fairly easy two year old compared to other two year olds that I have had (who shall remain nameless:). He is definitely two, but he has yet to do such charming things such as: throw his carseat out of the car, sing and be happy in timeout (he is always appropriately remorseful), kick me as hard as he can while being read to walk around with a permanent, judgmental scowl on this face, tell me, "I don't wuv you, I onwy luv Dad." He continues to obsess over the loud (vacuum), and it is a great distraction, as in, "Don't get upset Zachary, let's go LOUDING!!!"

From Ethan

2011-03-31T13:42:00.000-06:00

Ethan (in a really loud voice): Hey MOM, when you were a wittle girl, wittler than Butterscotch you ate some garbage.

Me: !?

Ethan: And then you threw up the garbage and it was brown.... like a lion. LIONS ARE BROWN!!!!

Ethan: I am going to go pway shooting deer because thats what you do wif them. It is weally weally fun. I'm taking my shoot-gun!

Ethan: I need to watch Return of the Jedi because I weally weally wove it and I MISS it. (after I told him he couldn't see it till he was older)

Ethan: Hey Mom, you got enough gas in dat car? Do you need to stop and fill it up? Are your lights on?

okaaayyy backseat driver.

Zoo

2011-03-31T13:37:00.000-06:00

Some of us wore princess crowns...

Some of us were busy obsessing over the sharks....

while some of us were just surprised to be there.

Ethan was a good "big cousin" and held onto Ellie's hand for much of the time.

Some of us stayed happy...

while some of us turned into storm clouds.

And all of us ended up back at the sharks:)

Spring?

2011-03-31T13:32:00.000-06:00

Spring ~~has sprung~~ is gasping and choking and trying its very hardest to "sprung," come on Minnesota!!

An Afternoon at our house

2011-03-31T13:28:00.000-06:00

Lincoln logs

Bumbo Chair

Future homeschooler (right before it was taken from him b/c he started to tear out the pages)

And, a shot by me, proving that I still have no idea how to use my camera outside of full auto mod (help me Debbie!!!:)

2011-03-22T20:08:00.000-06:00

I realized that this month I have not taken many pictures. I think it has something to do with the weather... I'm tired of inside pictures! But, here is a pretty cute one of Micah:)

We had a stretch of warmish days last week. Jada and Ethan were so excited. We even had one night where they were outside playing with neighbors until it was bedtime. Now, it is cold and rainy, but we are so happy so see grass again and praying that the rain doesn't switch over to snow tonight (such is life in MN).

Zachary and I have a little game we play: He giggles and runs away from me and then I call "Zachary Thomas!" and he comes running back. The other day, he started giggling and running away, but I was busy with Micah and didn't catch on. He was waiting for me to call him and when I didn't he yelled, "Mommy Thomas!"

2011-03-10T22:59:00.000-06:00

I read a blog post the other day about a Mom who handled a dispute over a toy by telling her kids that she was going to cut the toy in half. One child caved and said the other could have the toy. The mom gave the toy to the child who was willing to give it up. Solomon anyone? So, I tried that today. The fight was over the play dough ice cream maker; Jada and Ethan both wanted it first and neither was being very nice about it. I'm very sorry to say that if Jada and Ethan has been living in Solomon's time and fighting over the baby... the poor baby would have been cut in half because there was not a snowball's chance in you-know-where that either one was going to cave in and let the other have it first. They were also pretty ticked that I would threaten to cut it in half. In the end, I gave it to Zachary first, but he didn't really want it so Jada ended up with it. And that was my parental failure for the day:)

overheard:
I heard this after I told J & E to clean up some scattered memory cards.

Jada: I didn't do it, Zachary was the one who dumped these!

Ethan: Jada, I don't want to hear about what Zachary did! Just get it cleaned up.

And finally... a prayer by Ethan: " Dear Jesus, I'm sorry for calling Jada a slughead. Amen."

The many faces of Micah

2011-03-06T22:10:00.000-06:00

Dear Daddy,

2011-03-06T22:04:00.000-06:00

My onesie is supposed to go underneath my pants. Love, Micah

Jada Messy Room, alternatly titled "Where did I go wrong??"

2011-03-01T20:55:00.001-06:00

Ethan turns 4!

2011-02-28T22:06:00.000-06:00

Ethan got to celebrate his birthday with swimming at the Holiday Inn. We had a nice poolside room, and the kids loved getting to swim! They definitely miss summer days in the sprinkler and pool, so this was a nice break from winter.

Yes... that is my maternity swimsuit... it still fits a little too well:)

Back home, we opened presents and had hot dogs for dinner.

Happy birthday Ethan, we love you lots!

Ethan's Slideshow

2011-02-24T20:34:00.003-06:00

It is slideshow week on my blog:) Warning: This one is a little bit long... feel free to skip! Thank you Mom for reminding about the Kim Hill song... it made the slideshow at least three minutes longer! Remember, you have to hit play for both the music and the slideshow.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

A President's Day Conversation

2011-02-22T15:00:00.000-06:00

***** This is not intended to come across as irreverent to the president's, and it's actually bits and pieces from several conversations with Ethan over the last couple weeks.... too funny no to post*****

We have a corkboard in our kitchen with a calendar on it (among other things). Every morning, the kids and I go over what day it is, weather, months etc. I also have cardboard replicas of all the coins, and I started tacking one a week up on the board and made that part of our routine too. Ethan was very interested in this and quickly picked up on the names of the presidents on the coins. One day he wanted me to get all the coins out so he could see them:

Ethan: Abwaham Wincoln is on the penny!

Me: Yes, that's right.

Ethan: Dis is Kennedy, Dis is George Washington.....

Ethan: Are they DEAD???

Me: Yes... (this launched a conversation about how they died).....

Ethan: John Wilkes Boof shot Abwaham Wincoln!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me: That's right!

Ethan: Who shot Kennedy?

Me: Lee Harvey Oswald

Ethan: And... WHO shot George Washington?!

Me: No one. He just died when he was old and sick and his body wore out.

Ethan: (obviously disappointed)

Ethan: Did John Wilkes Boof have a gun??

Me: Yes, he used a gun, isn't that sad?

Ethan: (ignoring the question) Did he have a helmet? (I think he was picturing a storm trooper over a Ford Theater)

Ethan: John Wilkes Boof shot Wincoln... Who shot John F Kennedy?.... Wee Harvey Oswald. No one shot George Washington, he just died.... we aren't gonna talk bout him right now. Did John Wilkes Boof have a gun? (smiling).....

Micah's first foods

2011-02-21T13:52:00.001-06:00

Here is the semi-happy baby before the first bite...

Not lovin the avocados!

In fact, pretty ticked off about the whole thing.

So, we tried it again the next day. Here is a much happier boy...

Not crazy about the squash, but tolerating it better than avocado...

Okay, maybe not!

Is that a smile???

I like squash so much, I'll eat it through this net!

Since he was doing well, I let him try a sippy cup. This was by far, his favorite part!

New Carseat

2011-02-19T21:58:00.001-06:00

Today, I left Dan with all the kids and went carseat shopping (try not to be jealous). I went to the Babies R Us near the Mall of America. Is it just me, or has traffic gotten crazier over there on weekends lately?? Cars were backed up for several miles waiting to get into the parking ramp? I ended up waiting b/c I couldn't get around them to get to my exit. Anyway, I absolutely hate the carseat we have now (it got high safety rating, but I am always. untwisting. the straps) and it expires soon, so before we move Micah to a convertible carseat, I wanted a new one. I went the next step up from what we have now, and it looks promising. If I like it, I may get a second one so that both of the little guys can have one. Right now, Micah is still fine in his infant seat, so Zachary will be test driving it. Zachary got pretty possessive of it right away and screamed when I tried Micah out in it.

Micah

2011-02-19T20:09:00.006-06:00

Here is a quick slideshow of Micah's first (almost) six months! I picked the song that goes with it because when I got pregnant with Micah, I got really really sick. This was no surprise, I always get sick. But, last January, the kids got sick along with me... I will spare you the details, but you can imagine the rough night we had. The next day, after Dan was already at work, I realized that I needed some medication if I was going to get through the day. I dehydrated with Micah, and with Dan forty-five minutes away from me in good traffic, I didn't really have time to wait until he got home. A desperate call to my doctor got me my prescription, but I still had to go pick it up. Sick kids + sick mommy in the car = potential disaster. We all made it to the car, I drove to the pharmacy (drive up fortunately), and got my prescription (Zofran), took my first pill in the car, and drove home. My morale was, shall we say, not great. Then, the song that goes with Micah's slideshow came on, and it was just what I needed to hear. I knew after hearing it that I would survive this pregnancy, and of course, I did!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

2011-02-14T20:49:00.004-06:00

We had a little Valentine's Day adventure today. I took the kids to Build A Bear at Mall of America and they each picked out an outfit for their bear. If you look closely at the pictures, you will see that Jada has two bears... the bear that I ordered for Micah was a lot more pink looking in "person" than it was on the computer... So, she ended up with two, I don't think Micah cared.

Yes, not everyone was happy all the time. Ethan threw a major fit when I suggested that he look at a different outfit than the one he was wanting. And, all I did was suggest, not insist.... not one of the better moments of the day. Jada also got upset (not to the degree that Ethan did) when I told her that we would not be buying underwear for the bears.

Micah could not have been a better baby! He slept, cooed, and smiled at whoever passed by!

This little guy was sooo happy to be included. He clutched his little shirt that he picked out and smiled. He was definitely the poster child for gratitude, and after Ethan screaming, and Jada wanting more, I needed one to be content.
We left the store and found a comfortable place to dress the bears. Yes, Ethan remained ticked off. This time he was mad b/c he couldn't get his bear's pants on. He did end up apologizing and behaving himself for the rest of the time.
Zachary with his bear (this bear, we had actually had since Jada was a baby, it was a gift from my Dad, but Jada really wanted a pink bear, and Zachary has always loved to feel how soft this one is)
On the way out, Zachary wanted to stop and look at the "louds". He was such a good boy and I was more than happy to let him!

Next we went across the street to Ikea and had lunch.

We played in the kids area, and then went and picked out a new bar stool. Zachary had to walk because I needed the stroller to carry the stool. Jada did a great job holding onto him.
We went back to the car, then stopped at the car wash and ALDI before finally getting home. I don't remember being this tired on past Valentine's Days!

2011-02-14T20:45:00.002-06:00

The bitter cold has lifted here in MN (as least for now). We were finally able to go play outside for awhile. We had to stay in the front yard b/c the snow is too deep to walk in in the back.

2011-02-14T20:42:00.000-06:00

Ethan had his first of several birthday celebrations this weekend. This one was with Grandma. He requested football cupcakes, but when it came time to blow out his candle he wanted the basketball one. He was, as usual, very excited and exhuberant. He absolutely loves his police dressup costume!

Zachary's Truck

2011-01-30T21:18:00.000-06:00

"Wookit Mommy! Hewe is a twuck!"

Learning to write

2011-01-29T21:47:00.000-06:00

2011-01-29T18:10:00.001-06:00

The other day, Ethan was sent to his room after talking back to me. As he left the room screaming, Jada, in her best "I never do anything wrong voice" said: "We need to keep our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking lies!" If only she'd apply it to herself...

2011-01-28T22:15:00.001-06:00

I love these pictures because they remind me of when Jada and Baby Ethan used to do the same thing.

Mr. Micah

2011-01-28T22:13:00.001-06:00

2011-01-28T22:07:00.002-06:00

Today was the big day. Zachary moved from his highchair to a booster. Micah will be starting solids soon and the highchair will come back out, but for now, I am enjoying the extra kitchen space.

He was so excited to be big boy and said, "Zachy no baby!"

"Frog needs to nurse"

2011-01-10T19:59:00.000-06:00

The post in which I admit to surrendering the basement to the kids

2011-01-09T21:30:00.001-06:00

Alternately titled: The post in which I realize I need to have a garage sale.

Do you feel better about your basement now??

2011-01-08T21:33:00.003-06:00

For your enjoyment, a picture of Zachary:)

This week...

We had dentist appointments for 3/4 kids. No cavities, and only one kid who had to be wrestled into the chair after screaming, "I no want a turn!"

We also had doctor appointments for 2/4. Same child turned out to be the screamer.

2/4 got their pictures taken, thankfully no screamers.

We got to go meet our new cousin (my nephew)!

We moved our train table upstairs in an effort for there to be something for the kids to do upstairs besides whine. So far, it is working.

Jada lost her second tooth!

She swallowed it, I assured her that the tooth fairy would still come.

It was very very cold.

So cold, we couldn't play outside.

Cabin fever

So thankful for new Christmas and birthday toys, otherwise, we would go crazy.

It is too late to do a Christmas post?

2011-01-08T21:18:00.003-06:00

UPDATE: Blogger still won't let me upload more than two pictures at a time. So... you can enjoy this cute picture of Micah on his first Christmas and use your imagination for the rest!

I tried to post our Christmas pictures about a week ago, but for some reason blogger was having trouble uploading. Then, I got lazy and didn't blog. So, here I am with a really late Christmas post... feel free to skip:)

We had a wonderful, busy Christmas. We celebrated early with my parents, Christmas Eve was just Dan, the kids, and I. Dan's Mom was here Christmas Day, and we went to Dan's Dad's the day after Christmas. Then, for some reason, I was very very tired. We got lots of fun new toys including a new doll stroller, lots of fun additions to our train set, Vikings gear, and race tracks. Thanks to all the grandparents!!

Christmas Eve has been the day, for the last few years, that we keep for ourselves. We do stockings and presents, then we go to the Mall of America for lunch... which is my way of getting out of making a big dinner for us. We come home, play the rest of the day, and go to church at night. Actually, only Dan , Jada and Ethan got to go to the whole church service. Zachary, Micah and I had to leave the sanctuary halfway through. Zachary spent the rest of the service running around the hall with his froggy on his head!? And, Micah decided that he was inconsolably hungry.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Zachary!!!

2010-12-29T20:22:00.010-06:00

Zachary turned 2 today! We started out the day with dinosaur pancakes, then off to Chuck E Cheese. A major birthday tantrum was had when we ran out of tokens.... He came home and had a very short birthday nap, then we played until Daddy got home. We finished up the day with dinner, frog cake and presents. We love you Zachary and can't believe you are two!!

Three Years

2010-12-29T20:04:00.003-06:00

You never said I'm leaving,
you never said goodbye,
you were gone before I knew it,
and only God knew why.

Author Unknown

Christmas Cookies!

2010-12-14T21:20:00.000-06:00

Guess who lost her first tooth?

2010-12-14T21:18:00.000-06:00

2010-12-14T21:17:00.000-06:00

I started teaching Jada piano the other day. She had been asking for a while and was very excited to begin. I figured that 10+ years of lessons qualifies me to teach her at least for awhile. She learned about high, low and middle sounds, and "climbing the ladder" with her fingers.

Children's Museum in Pictures

2010-12-09T19:23:00.002-06:00

Grabbing his toys

2010-12-07T22:18:00.000-06:00

Zachy's Nap

2010-12-07T22:07:00.004-06:00

The original plan was to move Zachary downstairs to share a room with Ethan. However, Zachary, unlike J & E, really didn't do well in a bed that size at his age. He also didn't do well with removing just one side from his crib (in other words, he kept falling out of bed and I ended up reassembling the crib at 4:00 AM). Micah is getting bigger and will soon need a crib, although at the moment, he thinks our room is just swell! So, when we were offered a toddler bed, we jumped at the chance.

Zachary was so excited when I brought it home for him. He got a huge smile on his face and shouted "Zachy's nap!!" Jada and Ethan were not allowed in his room until he had had a chance to try out his new bed (much to their dismay). He could not stop smiling and was so happy to be able to bring his books to bed with him. After a successful naptime, I raised the crib mattress to a higher setting for Micah, and he was finally able to spend time in his crib.

Snow!

2010-12-07T22:03:00.000-06:00

Jada and Ethan are loving playing in the snow! They climb "mountains," build tunnels and forts, and pull the sled around. And I really really enjoy having a yard that is set up where I can see them from the warm house!

This one didn't make it

2010-11-25T09:02:00.000-06:00

This will not be on our Christmas card (note the spitup coming from Micah). Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-24T01:02:00.000-06:00

Shutterfly Christmas Card Promotion

2010-11-23T22:19:00.002-06:00

Usually (okay, I don't think I've ever done this) I don't promote products on my blog, but this deal was wayyyy too good to pass up! Shutterfly is offering bloggers 50 free Christmas cards in exchange for writing a blog post about Christmas cards.

I think everyone remembers (or not) my post last year about our Christmas card:

This post was lovingly titles, "Have a Cranky Christmas," because, really, what else would you call it? Thanks to my Aunt Susy for the great title:)

I did manage to get a great picture, though it did take some time. And, if you thought that getting a decent picture of three small children at the same time was a challenge... well, it is NOTHING compared to getting a picture of four small children.

Case in point, we have had a couple of photoshoots for the Christmas card... starting pretty much as soon as Micah was born, and I have come up with nothing so far. But, when I do (and I will) finally get that perfect-to-me picture, how am I ever going to decide which card to pick???

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

While I decide, and continue in my mission for a great photo (next photoshoot is Thanksgiving morning), I will leave you with a few pictures that did NOT make it:

2010-11-23T20:05:00.002-06:00

During the summer, I tend to be lazy about letting my kids "tap into their creative sides." We have conversations like this:

Them: "Can we paint?"
Me: No, go play outside.

Them: "Can we dump out all our legos?"
Me: No, go play outside.

Them: Can we play inside?
Me: No, go play outside.

However, now it is cold, so we have been doing much more inside "creative" play:

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-17T21:50:00.000-06:00

Try looking this cute with a face full of drool!

2010-11-14T23:29:00.000-06:00