At the Children's Museum

We went to the greatest Children's Museum while Grandpa was here. The weather is really rainy so we were trying to think of places to go that would keep the kids entertained. Hopefully Grandpa didn't mind! =) It was the coolest place. Unfortunately my camera ran out of battery so I didn't get pictures of this water room where the boys probably spent over an hour. We'll definitely being going back! Afterwards Grandpa treated us all to dinner at the most amazing buffet. I think we all had about 5 deserts a piece! It was a fun day.

E & her Grandpa

E really wanted her grandpa. I was holding her and she saw him behind me and started grunting and rocking her whole body toward him. When he took her she just smiled up into his face so lovingly. This is the sweetest picture!

E's Blessing

Sweet little E was blessed 2 weeks ago. She looked beautiful and seemed to know it was her and her papa's special day. He was holding her and she kept looking at him so tenderly. Papa did a beautiful job and it was great to have French Grandpa here with us for E's special day.

French Grandpa

N's dad came from Switzerland for a visit this month. It was so nice to have him here. The last time we saw him B was only 3 months old. So he got to meet S and baby E for the first time. Kids are so loving and accepting, it's so cute. Grandpa arrived late after all the kids were in bed. S woke up and I told him "Grandpa is here." He popped right up and ran straight out to the kitchen. The only grandpa he knew was my dad. But even though it wasn't the grandpa he knew he threw his arms around this grandpa and whispered "I love you Grandpa," and snuggled right in. It was too sweet. B was just as excited when he woke up in the morning. He came into our room and said "Is Grandpa here yet? Can I go wake him up?" Which he did. To differentiate between N's dad and mine, B started calling him "French Grandpa." B started getting frustrated that he didn't understand when Papa and Grandpa were talking and said "Grandpa's saying the wrong words!" I told him they were just speaking French and he said "I want to speak French! Papa can I have a blessing so I can speak French too?" S agreed. It was very special. I've got more pictures on another chip, they'll be downloaded soon.

Three Months Old

This girl is the cutest! She's such a good baby! She very rarely cries--unless she's got a dirty diaper. Otherwise, she just sits patiently and waits. E smiles every time she sees me looking down at her in her crib, obviously delighted that I'm there to pick her up. When she wants someone else to hold her she gets an eye lock on them and starts rocking her whole body int their direction. It is so cute! When she gets what she wants she just grins. E is very determined. She's already rolled over tummy to back and is trying desperately to go the other way. She's getting pretty darn close too. E is very interested in trying to stand up right now. She loves to hold onto our fingers and try to pull herself up onto her feet. Her legs really aren't very strong but she'll do it over and over and over again. I've tried to have her stop and she will cry then until I let her do it again, then she'll eventually totally wear herself out and fall asleep. This little angel sleeps a lot. She loves to watch her brothers and they love to be wherever she is. I love it! E likes her clothes too, which is so fun for Mommy. She smiles as I dress her then will lift up her arm and examine the pattern on her sleeve. If she happens to be wearing a dress she will pull the skirt up to her face and just look at it. I love it. She is so cute! We're so happy to have this little darling in our family.

Our Cuties

Pictures of the Kiddies

The picture is a little over exposed, but look at those pretty blue eyes!

B likes to play pirate captain. He'll salute and say "Aye, Aye!" It's very cute.

Goof balls!

They were very excited to make salsa and tamales for their Grandpa's visit.

Tomatoes

S's nursery teacher gave him a tomato starting kit. The boys were so excited about it we planted the seeds even though the packet said they were from 1983. They're growing beautiful and they are both so excited to check them every morning and see their progress and water them. They are now ready to pot and put on the deck. B and S can hardly wait.

I Don't Want a Nap

S thinks he's a "BIG KID" (he says it in a very loud, low voice) and therefor doesn't need to nap anymore. This particular day he told me he didn't want a nap, then fell asleep in my rocking chair for several hours. I tried to wake him up a few times and he would just fall back asleep.

Our Mechanic's Shop

All boys seem to be the same. They love their cars and motorcycles. Our boys play forever in the backyard with theirs. They were so funny. They set up a little mechanic's shop. They brought out their tools to "fix" the cars. They asked for washcloths and washed their vehicles down. And they found the hose and were using it alternately for filling up their cars with gas and filling up their tires with air. So creative! I love watching my kids play.

6 Kids

The boys had friends over a little bit ago and it was so fun. We had lunch then they played play dough forever, then ran around playing hide and seek. It was great. Their friends stayed all afternoon. Why is it that having 6 kids in the house seemed so much easier than having 3?

What ya Makin'?

My kids always ask me "Mom, what ya makin'? Can we cook too?" I see no reason why they can't, so my little boys help me make dinner almost every night and I can tell you we've been having some great Family Home Evening treats lately too. Those boys will sit on the couch pouring over cookbooks and helping me pick out the weekly menu. It is so cute. They're really getting quite good at cooking. There's a lot of it they do on their own with me only watching over their shoulder in an attempt to avoid possible catastrophe. Here are a few shots of the boys cooking and some of the things we've made together lately.

S is quite serious about mixing. Love that little face!

Moroccan Chicken & Couscous

Chilli

Homemade Cherry-Almond Muffins

Watching Movies

Did I mention it rains a lot here? Well, it does. Both boys now insist they are "big kids" and try to pass on the afternoon nap. By about 4:30 everyone is starting to get crazy, including me. So when they say "Mom, can we watch a movie?" As much as I'd like to have something more productive for them to do I gratefully say "Okay," and enjoy a few moments of calm, quiet. So here are the kids watching a movie the other day:

B crashed with his favorite blanket.

S sat happily eating pretzels with his still green hands.

E laid on the floor near her brothers and watched too.