Bunnies and Cupcakes

We went to pick up the girls this afternoon after they stayed with my parents for the weekend, and they couldn't wait to show us the cool stuff they made while they were there. They are quite the bakers, and love crafts, especially Skylar. They came home with these cute little bunnies made out of socks, and were so proud of themselves. They also made these farm animal cupcakes which were equally adorable.

Thanks mom for not only keeping them for the weekend, but planning such fun things for them to do with you while they are there!

Freedom

Just picture me singing that song at the top of my lungs, you know the one....Actually, don't picture it, that would be horrifying. Anyway, let me begin by saying I ADORE my children, I thing they are AMAZING, and they bring me great JOY! Let me finish by saying that I've thoroughly enjoyed a little bit of freedom this weekend. Friday night, Kevin drove the kids to Mt. Vernon to meet my parents for the weekend. I was in my house ALONE for five hours or so, that NEVER happens. For the first time since I can remember, every room in my house was clean, minus a few closets. We had a baby shower here this morning, and then Kevin and I were able to hang out the rest of the day. A little shopping, a dinner out, and some relaxing at home. I miss my children, and will be thrilled to see them tomorrow. However, I actually feel relaxed and rejuvenated and almost ready for a new week.

Happy 5 Months

The little guy is 5 months old today! The time is flying, and he's getting more fun all the time. He LOVES his sisters, and it's a good thing because they are always in his face. He's a pretty mellow fellow, and for the most part is all smiles. He's almost sitting alone, becoming interested in his toys, and enjoys lots of attention. Of course, who can resist giving attention to someone who listens intently and always responds with smiles and giggles. He doesn't appear to have any teeth coming in, but he drools constantly. (although I'm sure you've noticed that in his pics) He's tried a few food items, but doesn't really seem all that interested yet. Although considering his current size, I'd say he's doing just fine on his formula diet. I'm sure he'll change his mind about that soon. It's amazing to me how babies change and grow, and that in a matter of weeks, they can become so much more interactive.

When he first grabbed his puppy, their heads were nestled together and he had a big grin on his face. I missed that picture and got this look instead.

Sitting Up...Almost

I really like sitting in this chair Mommy! I'm sorry I spit up on my shirt when you went to get your camera to take a picture of me looking so handsome. Just for you, I'm going to try sitting up on my own. It won't be easy, but I it's worth a try.

I think I'm doing it, but are you sure this is safe?

Please don't let me fall, please don't let me fall....

Now this is more like it!

(Please be sure to keep your attention focused on the smiley little boy and not on his old looking mother who really needs to avoid close up face shots, put on some make-up and do something with that hair.)

The Chart

Against my better judgement, I recently created a chores chart for Skylar and Londyn. I won't go into how I really feel about that sort of thing:) Anyway, they've been looking for ways to earn some money, and I am always looking for ways to make things run more efficiently around our house. So, I created a simple chore list for each girl with items that they should already be doing anyway. I would just prefer they do them with a good attitude and without a fight. They have an opportunity to earn $1.oo per day. Londyn was excited, but not necessarily concerned with completing ALL tasks. She did a few of the easier ones and asked "I still get some money, right?" Skylar on the other hand was very serious about checking every single box off each day. So excited in fact, that on day 2 she was in my bedroom at 4:00AM dressed ready for school having already brushed her teeth, made her bed, picked up her room and reminding me that she had a good attitude wondering if she could go ahead and check those off the list. I'm sure she was dreaming about those checkmarks as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Things That Made Me Laugh...

That I didn't want to forget.....

"You look like you have like 100 babies in your tummy." -Londyn

"Were you alive when the dinosaurs were here?" -Skylar

"Gasp, did you just cut Jesus?" -Londyn (when I cut the heart out of the frog we were dissecting)

"I'm not a GIRL, I'm a WOMAN!"-Londyn

"Mommy, why does your nose do this when you laugh?"-Skylar (as she imitated my flaring nostrils)

"Let's play frisbee you jerk!"-Londyn (having no idea what the word meant, and was asking Kevin to play with her.)

"Mommy, what do you do when you mess up your make-up when you eat cheetos?"-Londyn

"Do you want to know who I learned about in Bible class? He's from Oregon." -Londyn (they learned about Elijah, I've never figured out the connection.)

"You'll have to put on your thinker, and picture it in your mind." -Skylar (as she was preparing to read us a bedtime story.

A Little Bit of Lincoln

Lincoln doesn't currently get a lot of blog action, primarily because he sleeps through most major events, and bless his heart, he just doesn't do a whole lot. He's as cute as a bug's ear, but he's just concerned with the basic needs of life like eating, sleeping, excreting waste, etc., and his sisters are a bit more demanding. I'm sure he'll get his time to shine, but for now, here a few pics of the sweet boy that has melted our hearts in recent months.

Kevin thought Lincoln was so cute sleeping, he kept him out of bed waiting for me to see and take a picture. Even cuter, he wanted to pretend he was asleep too so I could take a picture of them together (notice the slight grin on his face).

And my favorite picture in the series is Lincoln sporting his "I'm bringing chubby back" t-shirt Kevin bought for him. He's definitely a big 'ol boy. At 5 months he's weighing in around 17lbs, only 1 lb away from his year and a half old cousin.

If those bright eyes, rosy cheeks, and that sheepish grin on a neckless ball doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will.

Heart Day

Despite my poor attitude through the week of Valentine's, by the time the real thing rolled I was all about all things heart! We of course made some heart sugar cookies... The girls got to open their bag of goodies, and what's Valentine's Day without a balloon?!?!

I tried to get a picture of all three kids after church, but Kevin refused to let me wake Lincoln up. Lincoln wasn't totally thrilled with this holiday, but he did enjoy the balloons.

I hope you and yours enjoyed a day filled with those you love!

The Party Store

Saturday morning is sort of my time to get out and run errands that I can't accomplish during the week, or just get out of the house childless for a while. When I arrived home Saturday, there was a sign in the girls' bedroom window that said "The Party Store". I proceeded to go upstairs, and they had a whole table full of their books and toys all priced for their store. They were very concerned about why they had no shoppers coming to their store. Skylar asked if I could put it on my computer to advertise. So, here you have it...

I think their signage may be a little difficult to read. I believe their working to improve on their marketing strategies.

Who Knew....

That this cute boy... Would meet this crazy girl...

Fall in love...

Get married...

and live happily ever after, for the most part:)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Pure Joy...

There's not much that is great about this picture except for how much fun they were having. As I turned the corner to run up the stairs, the girls were both just sitting there with balloons hooked to their pants, eating fun dip, and giggling. It made me smile:)

Party Time!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of sneaking over to Londyn's V-day party. They had a great time passing out their valentine's and enjoying a pizza party. Not to mention, I believe she has enough candy to last a year. Valentine's Day is no longer about a little folded card, nearly everyone gave candy or a goody bag. It was crazy! It's always interesting for me to see her at school with her friends. At home, she doesn't sit still and talks nonstop. When I see her at school, she's always reserved and quiet. I guess I'd rather it be that way than the other way around! Unfortunately, I didn't get to visit Skylar's party, because she was at home sick. After all the drama of the box, she missed the whole darn thing! Don't worry, she wasn't too upset,she enjoyed spending the day alone with Daddy, and she still got all of the goodies.

Anti-Valentine's Day

Well, I don't like to think of myself as a cynical, negative individual. However, I have found my demeanor considerably less than chipper as this week of love has arrived. I generally LOVE holidays, and like the idea of Valentine's Day. I would just prefer that it be another, less busy, month. Both girls classes gave the option of making boxes at home or at school. Of course being the busy, working mom of three with a husband that is currently absent encouraged my children to make their bags at school. If you don't know me, or haven't picked up on it previously on the blog, I have issues. Things like this stress me out. I can't just let them slap some paper on a box and call it good. I have to make it far more expensive and stressful than necessary, all the while knowing that the end result will never meet my expectations. I fought if for about a week, but for some reason unknown to me, these girls really wanted to make their own boxes. I was feeling a little guilty so I caved. Rather than running my necessary errands after school, I ran to Hobby Lobby and bought stuff to make valentine's boxes. With all that being said, I have to admit we had fun, and I had two very happy girls!

Celebrations!

Each month at Arrowhead, we have a school "Celebrations" assembly to honor students for their reading and math accomplishments, talk about the character trait of the month, etc. Each month one of the classes performs as well. January was kindergarten's month to perform.... Skylar singing with her classmates.

Skylar and her friends being honored for their reading goals for December and January.

And last but not least, this is Skylar and her friend with their nervous smiles as they are about to receive a dog tag. Now, you may be wondering why any kindergartner would care about a dog tag. Well let me tell you, at AH, dog tags are a big deal! Most schools now do AR reading, and I'm sure all of them have their own incentives, but for us, students receive an engraved dog tag for every certain number of points they earn. Kindergartners were just allowed to start taking tests after Christmas, and these few girls have already read enough to earn their first incentive. Skylar's goal is to read enough to have lunch with the principal, so far she is a third of the way there, so we'll see!

Below is a video of the perseverance song performed by kindergarten. I did take video of the other 7 songs, but I thought I'd spare you!

School Skate Night

This was the first skate night we've attended this year, but both of the girls' schools were participating, and Londyn received skates for her birthday, so I thought it would be a fun way to spend the evening. The girls had a great time, and are becoming quite confident skaters. Skylar and I showing our school spirit in our Arrowhead t-shirts!

My girls are in love with these "big" girls, and were super excited to get to hang out with them at the school skate party!

Three Amigos

In case you didn't already know, two of my closest friends and I were all pregnant with boys and due within a few months of each other. I can't believe it's taken me this long to get a picture of all three of the boys together, but finally I was able to get one this afternoon,and they actually all have their eyes open! Brody is 3 months old, Lincoln is 4 months now, and Logan is about 6 weeks. There has been a giant baby boom at our church in the last year, and there are still some coming, so these boys should have plenty of boys to play with, and girls to fight over.