Trips

For my 34th birthday this year, I watched my kids plus four nieces.  It was an interesting birthday. :)

I got these pictures from Leila's field trip to Family Fare.

 They learned about where food comes from and healthy eating.

 They got to go behind the scenes but needed to wear hairnets.

 

 Apparently Leila liked hers, because she was the only one not to take it off!  :)

 This past weekend we did our biannual mom & sisters shopping trip.

  It was again a great success in terms of finding clothes as well as bonding time.

Henry was hanging out on the couch like this so I had to take a picture.

 Leila wanted in on the picture.

 I took the girls to see their first movie in the theater last week Saturday - they loved seeing Madagascar!

Silly Pictures

These girls love to make silly faces - especially with the help of Mr. Potatohead.

They just make me giggle.

Henry is a CLIMBER!  He is always climbing - sometimes getting stuck - as he is here.  He has been climbing up on top of the dining room table, so I have to keep my eye on him at all times.

Stella is potty training, here she is using her pull ups as mittens.

Here the girls are playing house with Paige, I think that Leila is tucking everyone into bed.

I love this action shot of Henry, you can see him getting ready to just take off!

Stella earned a jump rope as a potty training incentive, but Henry is the one who likes it the most I think.  He is constantly carrying it around (or being led around by his sisters).

I put up an Easter egg banner (you can see it farther down) that Leila thought looked like angry faces.  She wanted to make one too, so she found a fancy ribbon and drew, cut out, and decorated her eggs (by herself!!) and I got some clothes pins for her to attach them (her original plan was glue).

These girls are always putting on shows for us, they are also in charge of their own fashion choices, I give up! :)

Henry was the first one up after naps the other day and I pulled him around for a while in his dump truck, he loves to go for a ride!

The girls both fight over who gets to help me with anything that I am doing in the kitchen, here it is Stella's turn to stir the dry ingredients for some bread.

We made some blueberry pancakes the other day, I always forget how messy they are!

Stuck again.

Mom and dad gave the girls this picture that they had taken in a photo booth set up at their church.  Leila showed it to her cousin Norah this morning and said, "Wanna see what my grandma & grandpa look like?  They look like this, but bigger."  Jer and I looked at each other and tried not to burst out laughing.  After more cousins arrived, Leila showed the picture to her cousin Paige and I overheard, "Grandpa is handsome all the way."

March Madness

These three are pretty good about playing together.  Henry does try to hug Stella and take a bite out of her sometimes, but usually it is because she stole something from him.

Leila is getting older and starting to play real games with us, and she is pretty good!

Henry noticed his pacifier hanging there from his coat and decided he needed a hit.

He loves to brush his teeth, but doesn't like to have help.  He will even move the stool and hop on up there.

Here we are almost ready for church, having a picnic on the fireplace.

The girls were quietly reading back here, Stella called it their "trap."

I love seeing the girls play together on their own.

Stella holding her new cousin Greta!

Leila too!

I think I goofed and showed a preview of the new mantle up above, but Ken helped us mount our new TV to the fireplace and suggested swapping out our old mantle and building a new one.

He came by a few times over the course of a week to help.  We had Ken and Sue over for supper one night and they even helped with bedtime stories :)

Here is the semi-finished product, now we just need to sand and stain it, whenever we find some time!

The girls had fun making homemade valentine cards.  Leila made one for each of the friends in her class and even wrote all of their names on their cards after crossing them off the list I made.  She drew what she always draws - pancakes with syrup and a knife and butter.  On each and every one.  Even the ones for grandparents, too funny!

The other night it wasn't too cold, so we took the kids for a sled ride around the neighborhood.  Henry really liked it, he was oohing and ahhing along.

On the way we stopped at Nana & Papa's house to make snow angels in their yard.

On the way back home Leila wanted to pull Henry and Stella "pulled" Jer too.

Breakfast, as will all meals around here, is never dull.  This day Henry was stacking cereal on his cup instead of eating it.

Once I took his picture, the girls needed me to take their as well.

I have been writing down a few of the funny conversations or things the girls say again.

S: I won't say baby words, just mama words (we have been working on getting rid of baby talk)

S: He is much happier now (after apologizing to Jer)

S: I want to be as tall as Goliath! Thud thud thud (sound effects for her walk)

S: (waving a wand) ...and the fairy princess cried when I stoleded her wand...

S: Papa you're not in charge! (after he told her what to do when he was over for supper the other night)

And here is Leila before her haircut, pictures to come!

L: I don't need a banana, I am having Fruity Pebbles as my fruit

L to S: Here you go ma'am, did you hear that I called you ma'am? I like to call girls ma'am cuz that's what they are.