Baby "Doll"

Right after we moved last summer I was ran across a yard sale with some good little girl stuff.
This doll cradle was one of them. It's got really sturdy construction...a much needed feature in a house of boys and scrappy girls...and I thought it was so cute. Every girl needs a cradle for her babies!

Kenzie was 4 months old and still just a little thing. The kids were pretty sure this should become her new bed once they saw she fit. :)

She's gotten to be such a big girl now. I can't believe how she's changed since we moved. She's gone from my little, cuddly, armful of an infant to a walking, climbing, into EVERYTHING little toddler.

She's one of those special people put on the earth to bring joy to the souls of those around her.

Just oozes sweetness!

Dinner, Mammoth Style

"Hey Mom, I'm a Mammoth!!"

We went out for my birthday way back in January. He made me laugh out loud with his gummy mammoth face. 

Funny boy.

Notice the striped plate under his food...he was so excited about earning the striped for being good he brought it with him to the restaurant.

Gotta love this funny kid.

Busted! Now Confess!!

Setting: Lincoln in Timeout

Timer chimes it's bell of freedom.

Me: Come talk to me. 
(If they don't remember why they're in timeout and need a reminder they, go back for another 2 minutes.)
Lincoln: I'm sorry for tackling Garrett.
(Not what I was going for, but thanks for the confession.)
Me: And.
Lincoln: Sorry for squeezing Garrett really hard like this. 
(Again, not what I was going for, and another confession.)
Me: And.
Lincoln: Sorry for spilling water on your couch. 
(For the love! Uh, no still not what I was going for. These confessions are certainly piling up.)
Me: And.

Pause....Thinking really hard so he doesn't have to go back for 2 minutes...face brightens up...


SORRY FOR NOT LISTENING TO WHAT YOU SAID AND DOING IT THE FIRST TIME YOU TOLD ME! Yeah, sorry for not listening. 
(Like when I told you to put said spilled water on the counter so you wouldn't spill it on the couch.)
Me: It is NOT OK to ignore your Mom. Now, go tell Garrett you're sorry for tackling and squeezing him.
Lincoln: Right now?
Me: Uh, yes my dear.

(I'm pretty sure timeout is lost on this kid, but "they" say he'll get it eventually.)

(At least he's good at looking remorseful.)

Another whole year before he can get into the structure of a Kindergarten setting....
I think we might die. That boy is so ready. Have to stay one step ahead of him or he'll run circles around ya like a little Tasmanian Devil.



Saturday on the way home from the first soccer game we dropped the car off to get new tires while we went to the next two games. Apparently cracked tires aren't good to drive on in the summer when you live in the desert....and since summer is ALREADY here, figured we'd better get it done.

While waiting outside for Stephen...

Gabriel: Mom, call dad I have to go to the bathroom.
Me: I already texted him and told him we were waiting outside.
Gabriel: I have to go baaaad!
Me: Sorry, gotta hold it.
Lincoln: Why don't you just pee outside?
Me: No, we don't do that.
(Despite your brothers' example in the back yard.)
Lincoln: Why? Is it pee littering?

Ummm,yes, we'll go with that if it keeps you from peeing in public.

Lincoln was "Stinky Linky" for a long time. 

Then he became Linky-Poo. 

Lynneah, in her efforts to say Linky-Poo calls him "Wimpy Poo".

 IT IS THE CUTEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD!! He's usually pretty good humored about it. 

Sunday "Stroll"

We've started taking the kidlets for a walk every Sunday. 

They LOVE it. We love that they love it...someday maybe it'll be leisurely.

We look really cool with a double stroller, THREE dogs leashed to the front of it, Dad steering it, and the three boys...well...being boys. 

They're usually in jammies. I have enough laundry so they come home from church and change straight into jammies, reducing the number of outfits I'll have to wash from that day. I'm willing to bet the cranky neighborhood we live in is aghast, but I don't care one snit.

Even superheros need exercise!

Lincoln lived in these superman jammies this winter and I thought it was SO adorable watching him walk down the street in his little cape.

Always busy

Wish I had video of her first time in a ball pit!

She'd had an especially cooperative speech day so her therapist let her play in the ball pit for a few minutes. She took a flying leap into it, then swam around and around under all the balls. It was seriously funny to watch.

When she's not being cute in the ball pit at speech, she's busy making mud with the water in the fridge...

After a long day of wild mayhem there's nothing left to do but chill out with your bottle.

She still gets two a day. Her weight is ok, but not stellar (she and Kenzie are within 4 lbs of each other) so she gets a bottle with formula mixed with whole milk rather than water and a couple jars of baby food mixed in.  One of those bottles at nap and bed have been enough to maintain her skinny little self. I predict the two girls will be sharing clothes at some point....that'll seriously streamline laundry. :)

Mall Fun

Stephen is about the most anti-mall person I know. I had no idea how anti-groups of people he was when we got married. Weird dynamic to navigate as a big crowd kind of person.

Anyway, we were forced to stop by the mall for something and the kids saw the escalator.

They got so excited and kind of jumped up and down while they asked if they could ride it. Cracked me up. So, like the good humored dad that he is, Stephen rode up and then back down 4 times with them. They loved it! Lynneah giggled the whole time, and its a miracle Garrett didn't get hurt because he was jumping while riding it.

We had three really  long sick weeks.

Gabriel was semi-comatose sick in bed for a full week.

The next week Garrett was sick for a full week...except he can be on his death bed and will still be bouncing off the walls...not in bed.

The third week the three little kids *AND* Stephen all got sick, fortunately not anywhere near as seriously as the big boys.

*This was the first time in our marriage that Stephen was sick for real.*

 He said, "Wow, this is horrible. It would be annoying to get sick every year."

Yes my sweet boy, it is awful, you should try hatching a kid or two and spend nearly 5 years puking every day. 

XOXO

Lynneah just layed around for most of the day...in between PUKING ALL OVER...

She set herself up on the floor with her pillow and "banket". I thought she was so cute with her sickie eyes and wild pony tails.

We're all very grateful that was all that hit us. The kids didn't seem phased by any of the other stuff that went around. Whew!