What's Up

We've been loving our outside time and have started a Tour of Playgrounds.  We've been spotting different neighborhood and school playgrounds and have been doing our best to try all of them out!

 Scott and Natalie have birthdays coming up in the next few weeks!  Our buffet price at Chicago's is about to go up.  :/

 Scott is going to try out piano lessons this summer and is very excited.  He's been "practicing" daily since I told him about it. 

 Natalie is going to try a week at dance camp.  She's also thrilled and has been practicing her ballet moves. 

 Kate is going to obedience school this summer.  Okay...not really. 

Scott has a countdown in his room going...only 8 more days of preschool left! 

I couldn't do this again if I tried...Natalie was scooting down the driveway when I snapped this picture.  Scott had written her name in chalk on the driveway a few days prior.  Pretty cool!:)

I normally don't purchase stuffed animals at garage sales.  However, I broke my rule a couple of weekends ago.  Scott and Natalie spotted a Barney for Kate.  It came from the home of a nice lady that we know, so I gave in and bought 25 cent Barney.  After a wash, the kids presented Kate her new purple dinosaur, and she bonded immediately.  She sleeps with it now and lights up whenever she sees it.  It's funny to see watch her on the video monitor at night with her arm around her big Barney.  She's in love!

 A rare family shot

 Natalie loves to go down into the mud room and put on strange combinations of hats, coats, shoes, etc.  Here I caught her teaching Kate the ropes.   

 Grrrr

This little monkey thinks that 5:00 a.m. is a proper waking time.  Natalie has been hearing her cries and rising for the day then, too.  Natalie told me that Kate was her alarm clock.  Mine too.  :/  The boys have been doing a better job sleeping through our cute little "alarm clock" though.  I'm so jealous!

I love these kiddos!

Train Up A Child In the Way He Should Go

So at the ages of 5, 3, and 1, I realize that my kids could use some guidance when it comes to properly celebrating Mother's Day.  Therefore, as soon as Jon left for work today, we packed up the van and headed to Marsh.  We picked out a big cookie, and I asked the bakery lady to write HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY on it in pink icing.  (I was really hoping that she would not ask me any questions that would lead to me having to admit that the cookie was for myself.  I would have been fine without any sentiments written on it, but the middle of the cookie was desperately crying for some more icing.)  

After purchasing my gift, we exited the store and headed to a local playground for a mini-celebration.  I had packed a fork, knife, and plenty of paper towels, and so we were set.  We found a bench and dug in.   (No time for good pictures when a cookie and playground are waiting.  I was going to take a selfie in my honor, but decided that I had celebrated myself enough.)

Once my belly was full, I began to feel a little guilty about my indulgence.  So I took another bite to remove the "M" and feel much better about the cookie now.  It's all about the others. :)  

Should I encourage this?

This is Natalie.  Sometimes known as Ann.  Her full name is Natalie Grace, but she gets quite upset when we call her that.  She corrects us and says that we can call her "Natalie Big Sister" or "Ann"...but certainly not Natalie Grace.  In church on Sunday, she told her teachers that she likes to be called Ann and she wrote Ann on all of her papers.  (She doesn't know how to spell Ann, so she writes about 14 different letters and tells you that you can spell Ann any way you like.) 

Not only does she refer to herself as Ann, she also has an imaginary friend named Ann.  For the past few months, "Ann" has been accompanying Natalie many places.  Ann sometimes joins us during dinner or in the van.  She and Natalie will have some interesting conversations.  She likes to race Natalie around the house.  Sometimes Natalie wins; sometimes Ann wins.  Natalie will cheer for Ann and congratulate her.  When life gets too dull with just Ann, sometimes Dane makes his way into the scene too.  Dane is older...seven I think she said.  He is all brown- brown hair, brown eyes, brown skin, and brown ears.  :)  Four year old Ann is also brown all over, but she has purple eyes.

 (Ann is on her left and Dane is on her right...or was it the other way around?!)

Scott cracks up at this whole imaginary friend thing and kind of eggs Natalie on.  He will ask Natalie where they are, and laughs and laughs at Natalie's responses...which only encourages more "appearances" from Ann & Dane.

Oh to be a three year old...

This too shall pass

Looking back at these pictures at all of my kids at 18 months brings to mind a couple of things...

One and a half year olds are super cute and super fun.  They start to really become little people at this age- full of opinions, expressions, personality, and all.  Can't resist squeezing them!

They are also A LOT of work.  It's temporary though.  I'm giving myself a pep talk.  I no longer find the older kids climbing on the dining room table, eating rocks when we play outdoors, or taking big sips of water and then spitting it all over their shirts as they grin.  I no longer need to search for their pacifiers, plan my outings around their naps, or duck if I happen to walk past their Sunday School classroom.  One day, Kate will also outgrow these things and mature into a more independent preschooler...but hopefully not too quickly!  My babies are growing up so fast!

Scott at 18 months

Natalie at 18 months

Kate at 18 months (Her first picture reminds me of the Brady Bunch)

Hooray for 18 months!

Marathon Post (refers to the length and has nothing to do with running!)

The kids were yelling across the room at one another one evening, and I had had enough!

Me:  Scott, the Bible says to encourage one another and build each other up.  Your words are not doing that right now.

Natalie:  (Listened to my reprimand to Scott and then agreed with the big tears)  He's knocking me down, Mommy.  

 Happy First Birthday to our SWEET niece, Mazie!!

 Balloon fun for everyone!

 Scott was very proud of his hat for the Easter hat parade at preschool.  He was very particular about it's design..."Choo-Choo- Choose Christ!"

One child playing the piano= Tylenol
Two children playing the piano= Tylenol + Chocolate
Three children playing the piano= Tylenol + Chocolate + new rule that only one pianist can play at a time....AHHHHH!!!!!!!!

What goes on while Daddy is at work...

Natalie and Scott were playing trains together in the living room when I overheard this...
Natalie: I'm the goodest train!
Scott: The goodest?  
Me:  (Thinking wow...Scott just beat me to it.  Way to go!  Correct her grammar.)
Scott:  Don't you mean the baddest?
Me:  (Had to intervene...I explained to them how goodest and baddest were not words.)

About an hour later they were playing again...
Natalie:  I'm the nicest train.
Scott:  Nicest isn't a word!
Me:  (I give up!)

Scott was asking for help one day last week on a chore that he could do on his own. 
Me:  Scott!  You are about to be 6 years old!  You can do that for yourself.
Scott: Train me when I'm 6. 

 Oh no...Kate's officially learned how to cheese for the camera...

My good friend from college visited last week with her two little ones.  Our girls are both very close in age, and it was fun to see them interact. 

Natalie's already asking when her Ohio friend can come back. 

Kate...well...Kate needs to learn some sharing skills before her little playmate returns. Taking toys and sitting on our friends in the wagon does not go over well.  We'll work on that.