The Biggest Mess

A few weeks ago the kids were all taking turns being sick with a fever.

Grandpa and Grandma came over to hang out with the kids for a bit while Jeremy and I ran some errands or something, I can't remember what we did.

Maybe out for dinner.  It was a nice break.

This past Saturday Jer and I were cleaning the house.

The kids took most of the pillows and started a jumping game.

They were playing independently and quietly in the girls room.

We thought that was so great and proceeded to ignore them and clean since they were playing so nicely.  This is always a mistake.  When children are quiet and unsupervised, you never know what will happen.

Henry came out to play iPad and Jer helped him learn a new game.

Meanwhile the girls took every single article of clothing that they own out of the closet and their drawers and made a big pile.

So big that at first we could not get the door open.

It took the girls 2 hours and lots of tears to clean up the mess.

Henry had a great nap.

Quotable quotes:

Stella: if you eat breakfast with no clothes on you might pee on your chair.

Looking at a book
Stella: there's the red nosed reindeer.
Aunt Kari: what is his name?
Stella: red nose.

Leila: it smells like static in here.
Me: what does static smell like?
Leila shrugs.

Stella: if one of my eyes went away, I couldn't see.

Henry to Greta as she hits his train with her doll: don't tickle my train!

Stella: soap doesn't taste good in your mouth.

Sitting at the dinner table...
Stella: mom something smells disgusting!
Me: what?
Stella: I tooted! (giggles)

Stella falls spectacularly in a twirl over the bed.
Stella: that was not a trick I tried to do.

Train Show

Leila reciting Psalm 23, she likes having the Bible to give her hints if she can't remember what comes next.

 Leila was pretending to be the mom and put Stella and Henry to bed.  Henry is wearing Leila's nightgown in the sleeping bag.

 Stella loves making this face for pictures.

 Henry is organizing the jewelry into pitchers.

This past week at school was Makers Week.  The kids were put into groups based on project interest and not age.  Leila was a bit overwhelmed when they went to choose groups because she would not know some of the other kids.  At the sign up, a second grader named Emily took her hand and helped her sign up for all of the same things as Emily so that she would have a friend in each group.  Emily is in yellow next to Leila below.

At the end of the week they invited parents to come see what the kids did during Makers Week.  Leila got to be a guest speaker and explain what had happened with her and Emily.

Today we went to The Shoe for breakfast and the girls split a giant cinnamon roll.

Next we went to the train show.

Henry did not want to leave, he loved watching the trains.

Leila got to be a photographer and took lots of pictures of the scenery.

And of dad and Stella eating a donut.

She wanted her picture taken too.

More kid's eye view pictures.

To make our train show visit even more memorable, we were in the newspaper!

Starting to feel cooped up this winter...

We have been having more and more pajama days around here.

If there is no where to go, why bother getting dressed?

The girls love to read the Biscuit books.

What a handsome man I married.

Henry is in a post allergy tantrum benadryl snooze.

Stella wanted her picture taken with Anna and Elsa.

Henry is repurposing this toilet paper tube as a telescope.

Or a megaphone.

This is what happens if I set the kids up with a snack and try to do some work from home.  Henry finished his bowl of popcorn and grabbed the large bag I left on the counter in case he needed more and dumped the entire thing on the floor.

Later on this snow day the kids had a tea party with their bears.

And the quoteable things our kids say...

Stella: mom are you sure I'm not going to grow into a baby again?

Jenna: what did you do in gymnastics today?
Leila: oh, did some somersaults, balanced on some beans...

Stella: mom, when I was a baby I talked like a baby, right?
Me: yep.
Stella: I said, (high voice) "mama can I please have something to eat?"
Apparently babies say regular things but in high voices.

Leila is starting to read and was checking out the baby lotion.
Leila: Boobies. Boobies?
Me: Babies.

The girls are at Sunday School and Henry is enjoying a leisurely snack.
Henry: it's too quiet mama.

Driving home...
Stella: when I'm a grown up I can drive too.
Me: yep, only 13 more years.
Stella: aw...I wish it were 2 weeks. I am going to pretend it is just two weeks. I can't wait!

Stella: camels have no ears.

Stella is on the potty and Leila is lecturing her about the importance of hand washing.
Stella: wouldn't it be funny if cars had toilets?
Leila: Stella, there will be no interruptions! (angry voice)
Resumes lecture.

Henry: (crying) there's snow on my boot!

Stella: you will miss me if you flush me down the toilet.

Stella: mom, are cheese curls a fruit?

Three times over the last few days Stella has found an empty pez dispenser and eaten pretend candy. She offers me some but always "runs out" as soon as Henry wants some.

Stella: I just love these puppies Nana got me for Christmas. I don't want Henry to play with them and I don't want him to rip them with his strong muscle power.