Overdue...Henry, 21 months

At 21 (22) Months you:

...love picking on teasing your siblings.  You love to take their stuff and throw it onto a tall counter top or middle of the table so they can't reach it.  You also love to pull their clothes.  Despite your obvious humor at your tricks, your siblings are less then amused.

...are the first person, on the other hand, to offer comfort when someone is hurt or upset and crying.  I've witnessed your sweetness trying to give Ella kisses and the giant bear hugs you gave to Evie.   You sure can be a sweet boy.

...weigh approximately 26.7 lbs.

...love to put things in bins/bags/containers.  A game you could play for hours.

...breakfast, it's your favorite meal hand's down.  Your favorite consists of cereal bars, blueberries, and milk!

...love your teddy.  I love that when you are half asleep and I hand it to you, the first thing you always do is rub you face on him.

...love being chased.  Especially when we are in the middle of getting you dressed.

...wearing size 18 month pants and 24 month shirts.

...still look JUST like your daddy but are a mama's boy through and through.

...talk A LOT.  It's mostly intelligble and you love to repeat "certain" syllables.  Your favorite right now sounds like this: "diddle liddle diddle."  You even start the day whispering it to me.

...helping out my unloading the dishwasher and load the dryer.  You are the first to help out.  You make the silliest grunting noises with each  item you pick up.

...are not a very courageous boy.  You were ok with you first foray into the swimming pool.  You hate being tossed in the air.  However, you love the game where I set you on my shoulder and "drop" you.  Lot's of giggles and you say "ready" when you want to go again.  You also love slides.  One day at church when we went to pick you up you told daddy, "wee!" which was really confusing.  Then you ran to the little slide, climbed to the stop and started saying "wee!" as you slid down...adorable.

...like your neck being tickled, by daddy.

...are the first to sit down for a snack.  In fact, my hand is barely in the cracker box and you've found a spot on the floor and are wiggling with anticipation.  You love most carbs, just like daddy.  You hate trying new things, and prefer your food separate.  Daddy hates this about you but you prefer your meatballs somewhere other then on top of the noodles or rice.  You always finish your fruit.  Throw meat to the floor.  Veggies fall somewhere in between.  You are almost always happiest with a sippy cup tucked under one arm.

...have a great arm.  Maybe baseball will be in your future.

...LOVE to spin in circles.  Sometimes you put a box on your head, other times you and Grant join up, and sometimes you just solo it.  But you are always giggling and "wee-ing" your way around and around.  It's hilarious how dizzy you get as we watch you walk into walls or stumble.

...take the longest to fall asleep.  First you have to toss the bedding out of the bed and jump up and down.  Sometimes we hear you and Grant talking.  There is often a lot of laughing.

Preschool Finale

 

Remember this little girl. She might look familiar but she is almost a year older now.  This picture was taken on her first day of her second year of preschool.  Here she is, September 6th, heading out the door:

A full school year later and she has matured so much.  She talks better, is more social, her play is like a kindergartner vs. preschooler, and she expresses herself in a lot of different ways.  Here she is May 24th, walking out the door on the last day.

I am so thankful that we sent her to 5C's as  evident by the verses she says, the encouragement she gives others and by her simple faith.  This morning she was singing, "Jesus is your Savior everyday..."   Awesome!!!

Here she is the night before, with the gifts we made for her teacher.  The flash took out the words but it says: "thank you for quenching my thirst for knowledge."  I got the idea from Pinterest from this blog.

Overdue...Ella

I meant to write this post when Ella turned 18 months and again last month but alas life and time got away from me.  So without further ado, this is Ella as she is right now....

...is approximately 24 lbs according to our bathroom scale.

...LOVES to move.  She climbs, skips, bounces, jumps, runs, dances, slides and spins.  I call her my little firecracker!

...acts out her frustration in a way I would love to.  Throwing the item that is messing up her little life onto the floor and throwing her self down after it, bouncing on her bottom a few time to show her displeasure and smacking the floor with her little fist.

...runs to the shoe closet whenever I ask if she wants to go outside. 

...wears size 18-24 month clothes, depending on the manufacturer.

...sometimes gets so crazy (ie throws herself on the floor rolls around like a dog scratching her back and then flips onto her knees with her head on the floor and crawls forward) we wonder "where did that come from?"

...is the best but sometimes the messiest eater.  Often stuffs her mouth full.

...loves cereal bars, fruit (especially frozen blueberries and grapes), veggies (especially carrots, corn and beans), popcorn, fruit snacks, animal crackers, hot dogs

...calls everyone "gampa" unless corrected.

...says a lot, some most I can't understand.  Common words: diaper, mama, dada, no, up, Grant, Henry, Ella.

...sleeps the most.  She sleeps in most days to 7:30 and takes 2.5-3 hour naps.

...prefers that I dress her immediately after getting jammies off, during first diaper change.  Will in fact follow me around crying and tapping her belly if I don't.

...has started to be aware and have a strong dislike for poopy in her diaper!!  One of the first steps towards potty training.  Yikes! Yeah!

...loves playing in water...but not showers.

...loves to cook in the play kitchen.

...hates when her brothers (mostly Henry) pulls on her clothes during lunch (and who could blame her).

...still has gorgeous baby blues and long eyelashes.

...is all muscle.  WARNING: Stay out of the path of those legs, she's a strong kicker.

...she loves to be a big helper.  Always the quickest to pick up toys and runs to put things in the trash.

...gets along the best with everyone.  Not that she doesn't stand her ground our try to get what she wants from whoever has it, but typically she has the most moments of cooperation and fun with her siblings.  Ella and Evie especially can play well together.  One night they spent several minutes of hilarity running from Evie's bed to the door and back again.  They were laughing and giggling, it warmed my heart!

...gives the best cuddles/hugs first thing in the morning.

...keeps us on our toes and laughing.

A Week in the Life 2012-FINISHED!

A to Z

Been seeing this A thru Z hopping around the blogosphere and thought I would play along to reveal some more things you probably didn't know about me.

A. Age: 32
B. Bed size: Full, and we love it....we are that strange;)
C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning the bathroom
D. Dogs: Toby, an almost 3 year old Chorkie (chihuahua/Yorkie mix)
E. Essential start to your day: coffee with caramel white chocolate cappuccino mix.
F. Favorite color: Bright purple
G. Gold or Silver: I like both.
H. Height: 5’7.5"
I. Instruments you play: none, I tried a year of piano lessons before kids...I can't believe how dumb it made me feel
J. Job title: chiropractor, President of my business, SAHM and wife
K. Kids: 4,  Evelyn, Ella, Henry and Grant
L. Live: in MN
M. Mother’s name: Peggy, my dad is Jeff
N. Nicknames: Rae
O. Overnight hospital stays:Childbirth and with the "babies" until their transfer to M. .
P. Pet peeves: whining!!!!!
Q. Quote from a movie: "The veil is not attacking you!"  from the Runaway Bride
R. Right or left handed: Right handed.
S. Siblings: 2 sisters, I am very lucky.
U. Underwear: Yes.
V. Vegetable you hate: I don't really hate it, but I don't prefer cooked carrots or peas without the pods.
W. What makes you run late: trying to get in one more thing before I leave or not getting up on time
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Dental, full spine, tailbone, chest
Y. Yummy food that you make: pancakes, I'm hoping that my kids and grandkids will always prefer mine and tell others that nothing compares to moms...
Z. Zoo animal: Elephants

2012 Week in the Life-Sunday

Happy last day!  The week went really fast, and for the next week I am going to be so used to carrying around the camera and taking pictures that it will be difficult to not be thinking of taking a picture of everything I do.

The boys wanted to start their morning at 6, but because we are tired we let them hang out in their cribs til 7 when we can finally rouse ourselves.  Getting up and breakfast are typical, however while looking out the kitchen window I see two HUGE bunnies hopping around and I feel gratitude for our backyard.  I didn't want to miss them so I didn't catch a photo however, I  took this photo of a bird in the yard.  The window screen disguises it a bit but they are real close to the house, which we love.

This morning I took care of some financial business, transferring money into our online savings account.  I added money to the kid's savings as well as started 4 new sub-accounts: Texas trip, 10th Anniversary Mediterranean Cruise, Christmas and birthday accounts.

I start every morning with this drink, SPARK.  It's an energy drink and is delicious.  I can definitely tell the difference when I miss it.

How can I not  throw this sweet smile onto the blog??

 A Week in the Life is not complete without at least one picture of my LEAST favorite activity during meal times...washing faces and hands...ugh!
 

Today I tried to take more photos of "everyday" like this..carrying the kids around.  It just seems like when one finally gets enough one on one and mama cuddles then the next one is there to be picked up.  I hear UP a lot and have to do a lot of activities one handed.

Getting kids dressed.  The location of this can change everyday.  Sometimes I do it like this.  Occasionally in the living room.  Henry loves to run off so I've dressed him in the kitchen, and every where he will run and try to hide.  Most clothes changes are in their bedrooms.

Again...to adorable to leave out:)

Because we used the van for the conference, I had to throw Henry's and Ella's carseats back in to go to church.

We attended the 10:30a service at church.  I arrived EARLY {I'm shocked too} and brought all the kids in myself {Supermom!}.  Here was worship:

Evie at Kingdom Kids

Dropping the "babies" at nursery.

Shawn ushered this month.

Worship

Shawn ready to take tithes.

Taking sermon notes for a sermon titled: We Are Disciples: Following Jesus 101

After church I headed home with the "babies" while Shawn and Evie went to Hyvee to gather grilling supplies.  I stopped specifically to take this picture of a billboard I have the pleasure of viewing nearly everyday.  I HATE this billboard.  It's advertising for a local insurance office and sports the pictures of the 2 men agents.  Their slogan: Your hometown heros.  So just in case you were thinking that all of the men and women serving our country, or firefighters, or policemen were heros THINK AGAIN!  It's actually insurance salesmen.  Out there risking their lives for us!  Yeah right!  Arrogant fools!  Anyways back to our day:)

Shawn stopped and filled the red car and then off to the grocery store.  They purchased: brats (delicious), buns, watermelon, cantaloupe, blackberries, chips, and cauliflower.

After a lunch of leftovers {pizza and wild rice soup}, we enjoyed "free" time, which included:

Silly Henry entertainment.  He threw this on his head and then spun in circles.

Grant and I reading the Sunday paper.

This is what is in our freezer right now.

Playing on the computer.

Kids went down for naps at 1:50 again. It seems like the "magic" long nap time.  Shawn, Evie and I all headed upstairs to watch "Cars II" and play on our computers.  Grant-Man woke up too early: 2:45p and I laid on the couch with him.  This is what happened:

I managed to get an hour snooze with him {and I'm still tired} until Evie woke us up.  I must take after the kids because being woke up before I was ready made me cranky!!

We headed over to our friend's house for an impromptu BBQ and fun.  My sister and BIL and niece were there too.  BLAST!!!!

Evie and her bff, Abi.  Abi has an AWESOME dollhouse that through out the week Evie has told me that I can get for her "not Abi's but one just like it!"  She even thinks Abi will get one for her.

Malachi the flirt.  Hes my bff.  LOVE HIM!

The S's.  Rachel {dessert queen} made chocolate cookies.  I only ate 4.  I messed up my diet at yesterday's buffet so who cares right?

My sweet B!

Being silly for M!

Dinner: bacon cheddar brat and pineapple, which is like dessert as meat!  Also avai

lable: onion and jalapeno.

We left at approximately 8p after helping the S family clean up the disaster that is my children ensued.   MESSY!  When we arrived home, normal night routine took place. I took this picture to show the difference in the girls dressers/area.  Can you tell which one I clean???

Evie's

Ella's

Kids routine:

Babies diapers changed: Evie goes potty.
Everyone in PJ's.
Brush teeth.
Read to babies.
Tuck babies in bed with lovies and teddy's.  Give lots of kisses/hugs and bless them.
Evie has Mommy-Daddy-Evie time (unless she is disobediant throughout day or it's late and in her best interest to head to bed early.
Evie in bed.

 I have a few health problems: anxiety, RA and a I've had 4 children including triplets bladder problem.  Therefore medication is a normal for me.  Usually I am also taking fish oils, a specific neutraceutical for my RA and vitamin D...but I ran out.  So this is how I finish he night before heading up to bed:

Gratitude:

Ella's enthusiastic: "Numa, numa, numa!" when I took out the raisins for breakfast.

That my children are so healthy.

Enjoyed a delightful and happy "conversation" between Henry and Ella of which I understood 0% of.  LOVED that they did though.

Overheard:

Evie: "Oh no never let go!  Through the wind and through the storm!"  A worship song she LOVES.

Shawn has lifting limitations and apparently he did not observe them as Evie's first words to me from running errands with daddy was: "Daddy lifted me up!"  To say that Shawn looked a bit sheepish is an understatement...a bit more then mortified.

Irritation: The kids LOVE to throw their empty cups/bowls/plates on the floor when ready to move to the next course or get down.  Even though they can say "All done!"