Thursday, May 31, 2012

Spring Happenings at Home

April 16 was LL's 6.5 birthday, and she was delighted to accompany T to La Madeleine for dinner and dessert. Some time back, the girls somehow got the idea that it is a very fancy, special restaurant, and they started to describe it as "like a place you would go after your wedding." So clearly it was a very special place for T to take her!
Wonderful spring weather seemed to linger here this year. We tried to be out and about to enjoy it while it lasted, for we knew the heat and humidity would arrive eventually! We had lots of dinners on the patio...
and even a picnic in the front yard. Here are sweet SJ and SA. An aside: SJ has just learned to ride her bike sans training wheels!
Three girls and a baby!
A sweet moment captured...
5 little monkeys lying on a quilt
SA loves it outside, too!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

April Weekend Away: Part 2

We continued our trip with a few fun-filled days at Nana and Grandpa's house. Here's a little peek at some of the goings-on: RL joined SA for some tummy time...
Don't they look like brothers here?
SA also had some fun with Nana...
and more playtime!
That Friday was T's 35th birthday! He'd played golf with Grandpa and RL that morning...RL's first golf outing! We (the girls) picked him up after the first 9 holes and he was so upset about having to leave (the course AND especially the little club he'd been playing around with) that I don't know if I got any good pics of it...I remember taking a few but they must be on my phone. So that afternoon we gave T a collection of birthday wishes from family and friends...here he is reading them!
Happy 35th to a truly wonderful Daddy...
and husband! We love you, T!
Later that evening Uncle M joined us for T's birthday supper and cookie cake. RL had taken a good nap (in his pj's) after golf and slept right up til Uncle M got there. So although he was running around happily right before this, I think my taking the photo made him keenly aware (and unhappy) that he was not properly dressed for the occasion and he was in the process of stripping off the pj's and demanding real clothes! He is definitely our most particular yet about what he wears!
Girls' reading time with Nana

Sunday, May 27, 2012

April Weekend Away: Part 1

Back in mid-April we hit the road for a few nights with each set of grandparents. Our first stop was at Gran and PopPop's, where we made s'mores on a campfire and the girls set up a lovely buffet on the back porch:
We made our regular rounds to see the neighbor's horses. The girls fed one some carrots and grass,
while RL preferred to keep his distance a little more and hang out with PopPop. May have been a good idea, since on this day the horse got a little too friendly and actually nipped SJ on the cheek as she walked by the fence! She had a little mark on her face and a good story to tell!
Gran got some good time rocking SA and visiting with RL. I love how he has a cookie in one hand and corn on the cob in the other!
On our way out of town we stopped by the "bunny yard" which the kids always enjoy when we are there around Easter. RL went right for a jeep!
And the train is always a favorite...
Here's a peek at about a third of the yard. Imagine lots more on each side and a row in front of this including a motorized merry-go-round and ferris wheel for the bunnies to ride, a bunny tea party table, lots of bunnies on bikes, and quite a few other Easter decorations. And the cute couple who do this in their yard every year greet every visitor with a little basket of candy! They even insisted that SA have some!
Speaking of SA, here's a good one of him and Gran.
It was a fun time for us all!

Friday, May 25, 2012

Oh Boys

It's been so long since I've done spefic kid updates that I can't remember what I've recorded and what I haven't. The boys are so busy growing and changing that I can barely keep up. RL is showing a variety of personality traits these days that range from greeting us each morning with a cheerful "Hi Mom! Hi Dad!" followed by a request to snuggle and making sure he hugs T before he leaves to work to saying "I need..." a hundred times a day about something...his cup, his "trocs" (crocs), to "cereal with milk and a bowl and a fork." He has many very specific needs and he likes to tell us about them...he is becoming a master of articulation and persuasion. Like last night, after we'd played outside at least an hour but it was time to come in for supper and he wanted to go back out...he kept saying "I want to go outside...I can, I can, I can..." in a tone that didn't give the impression he was demanding it so much as that he might have expected that just saying it would make it so. Now that I think about it more, it was almost Little Enginish! He now has the verbal skills to make his thought process clear, and it's fun to see what comes together in mind and then out of his mouth. Tonight, we took a mid-movie break and when one of the girls called to me, "Can we start it?" RL said, "Bob the builder...can we start it?" (which begs the answer: Yes, we can!). Some of his favorite characters are "'Venture Hat" (aka Cat in the Hat) and "Lightman Tween" (or Lightning McQueen!). He likes to put his cap backward and say, "I'm a fireman." I think I need to get him some real uniformish dress-up clothes.
I think I took this on the day I took all 5 kids to the eye doctor (for only 2 to have their eyes checked). If you think about that scenario it might be easier to understand why I allowed him to go out dressed like this:
SA is growing and continuing to delight us all with his sweet little baby ways. He is mere days away from being eight months old! He's a laid back little guy mostly, although he has his moments where it's clear he's most content on my hip with his thumb in his mouth! His first two teeth made appearances within a week of each other this month. He's become a tummy sleeper, I think, and he makes an adorable little gargling coo when he's really happy! His appetite is certainly healthy and so far he's thrilled with almost everything he's tried...just this week he even had a few smashed black beans! SA and one of the members of his fan club:
Bathtime smiles!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Easter 2012

We had a busy and fun Easter Sunday at home this year. The night before we made "resurrection cookies" and, though the cookies got mixed reviews for their actual taste, the experience of making them was great and a meaningful activity that I hope we can make a tradition. What a blessing to celebrate on Sunday morning with our church family and be reminded again of the new life we have in Christ! After worship, friends from church came to join us for lunch. Amidst all the activity, I didn't manage to get a whole-family photo (not unusual!) but a friend did snap one of me with the kids before everyone arrived.
We didn't get around to dying eggs before, so we did it Sunday evening!
Chocolate bunny eaters...
RL got tickled by his bunny first...

Sunday, May 20, 2012

A Berry Good Day

On Good Friday we went on a last minute outing to pick strawberries! I still don't know how we've lived here almost 6 years and never done this before...it was lots of fun and the berries were fantastic! We decided to pick a flat and all hit the field to start picking. I must admit I was not much help with SA along in the sling! I think the kids picked about a pint each before the boys and I headed for some shade, leaving T and the girls to fill up the rest of the baskets! T kept going long after the rest of us called it a day...but there was lots more to do there as you will see!

RL's first bite...
but not his last!
Getting his hand painted...
Visiting the little piglets in the barn...
All the kids enjoyed watching the animals in the barn...pigs, chiekens, turkeys, ponies, rabbits, and calves.

I enjoyed watching RL in that barn...it was the first time I really noticed a very distinctive little boy "swagger" (that's the word that came to mind as he tromped around the barn in a very self-assured way...as if he owned the place!). I think this picture captures a little of the attitude I saw that day!
Berry sweet sisters
SA was a good sport that day even though he couldn't eat any of the berries!
There was a big play area for the kids, including a huge red bouncy hill.
Mmmmm..."so much better than the ones from the grocery store," as AG said! We ate alot fresh, made freezer jam (which we just ran out of the week!), and made a pie for Easter!
That night AG lost her second front top tooth! She'd lost the first one on Valentine's Day, and though the weeks keep passing the gap is still there!