Summer Catch Up and First Day of School

It has been a really long time since I updated the blog - over a month!  I kept waiting to get some pictures off from Jer's phone, then I was having a problem uploading the pictures from our camera, but now I have them all, so here we go.  

Here is Henry eating cake!  Allergy free chocolate cake is delicious!  I made some for him for Grandpa's birthday celebration, since he had not had any cake before.

We took the kids and played tennis a couple of Sunday evenings this summer.  They had fun getting balls for us and Leila took a bunch of pictures for me.

Stella's favorite smile.

Henry found a racket!

He is ready to play.

You may not know this about me, but I am not an athlete.  I was terrified that I would hit one of the kids with a ball (or my racket!)

After we were finished Jer actually asked me if I was really trying (I am that bad).

Henry got itchy while playing in the yard and scratched his legs on the grass - which turned into a dirt hole - can you see the dirt on his foot?  It was all over his legs, and I only let him do it for about 20 seconds!

The girls wanted to try on dad's ties!

Leila pulled Jer while we were out for a walk since none of the kids wanted to ride.

We went camping in Grand Haven with Dan, Misti, Josiah, Isaac, and Ella in August.

We borrowed my parent's pop up and had a great time.  My parents offered to keep Henry overnight both nights, which was a big help - he had been waking up most nights and trying to deal with that at a campground would have been hard.

They brought him back in time for breakfast!  In his hands are rocks and gravel he was playing with.  He really enjoyed getting dirty!

Leila is getting so old!  I wonder if I will be this surprised with the other two.  It seems like every time I turn around she has gotten taller or just looks older!

The girls were fighting over these chairs and Leila gave hers up so the other two could sit.

We walked down to the park to play.

All six kids on the seesaw with Dan & Misti!

Stella loved playing with the shower and foot wash at the pool, she washed all of the sandals and her hair!

Even though it was August, the campground celebrated Halloween, so the kids went trick or treating.  I decided Stella's costume would be too hot, so after we took the picture, I put on her suit and swimmies and called it a costume!

Henry probably just took off his shoes again in an attempt to get dirty!

The guys watched the first Lions preseason game, but the cord went through the door slot, so if someone needed to go inside, it got complicated!

It was great to just hang out with friends around a campfire and talk!

We went out for supper with Grandma and Grandpa for Grandma's birthday and afterward went to feed the ducks at Kollen park.  Stella was close to falling in, but I caught her in time.

Stella is teaching Henry the art of the smile.

Leila's first day of kindergarten!  She was excited until we got to school, she has been having a rough transition, but I am sure she will be loving it as soon as she gets more settled into the routine.

Day 2 of kindergarten - Leila gets to choose her own clothes, and even did her own hair!

Me: wow there is a mess in here!
Stella: don't see it mom. I said don't see it! (bossy voice and dirty look)

With Leila at school, Stella decided to have a tea party and set out all of the dishes and food.

She is always happy to have her big sister back home though.  The girls both love to play on the iPads.

Henry is starting to get more interested in playing with cars.

Leila told me she wanted to put on all of these tattoos.  I thought that was funny, so I let the kids do as many as they wanted (I am usually not a big fan of temporary tattoos, since the kids usually want them removed about an hour after we put them on).

This is how many they put on.  Henry got 3, Stella did 9, and I lost count of how many Leila did.

As you can imagine, going this long without blogging, I have lots of kids conversations to share.  I have started posting them to facebook too, so these are probably all repeats if you see my stuff on there.

Less than 1 minute after being put to bed...
Leila: I have been patiently waiting to fall asleep but it's not working!

Me coaching Stella as she talks to Duie on the phone: say this is Stella.
Stella: it's Mrs. Stella.

Stella: mom I can't lick my elbow.

Lindsey texted me that she heard Leila whisper to Stella: say it, say I'm the bestest sister in the world!

Every time I put Stella to bed or down for nap lately, she comes out and says, "mama, I need some attention." Apparently I have asked her this too many times.

After sitting in time out for pulling Leila's hair, I ask Stella why she did it.
Stella: I really thought she wanted her hair pull-ded.
Me: try again.

Stella snuggles up to Jeremy and says, you smell like peaches or turtles.

Norah: I see a squirrel
Leila: Squirrel starts with "S"
Stella: so do mermaids, because I start with "S", right mom?

My nephew Reid was done playing with all of his Thomas the Train toys and so Ryan brought them over for Henry to play with. Stella and Henry were playing and every 30 seconds Stella would lift something up and ask, "Is this one of Ryan's toys?"

Stella: I'm not talking right now.
Me: then what was that?

I gave Henry baked potato chips for a snack. He is putting 4 or more at a time in his mouth and eating them cookie monster style.