Feed the Birds

First duck feeding of the year at Settler's park.

    

Luke's first duck feeding ever. He's a great little thrower, and cracked up when the ducks would fight over bread. I just had to keep him within an arm's grasp so he didn't jump in the water!

    

Feb 29, 2016

X-box addicts

Jake LOVES Disney Infinity racing. Therefore, Lucas LOVES it. He's too smart for his britches though. He's ALWAYS turning on/off the x-box and amplifier. He figured out the white controller we gave him didn't work, so he makes sure he gets a black one. And he knows when the batteries are out because he tests the lighted button each time. When they're all occupied by other humans, he'll cause trouble somewhere else (usually the computer or spilling something in the pantry). One of us will set down a controller to get him down or out, and instead of getting mad, he books it to the couch for the controller and starts pushing all the buttons... Quite a sly, mischievous one I've got here. 

Feb 24, 2016

 

Don't Play With Your Food

Well, I guess we weren't playing with our food, but someone else's...which is probably worse. We took Brad to Red Lobster for his birthday, because it's his favorite. After dinner, the waitress brought over a lobster for the kids to touch, and she had them put coasters by his little legs for him to grab and hold. 

    

Jake calls the restaurant "Red Monster" because he has a hard time with L's sometimes, and we've been trying to help him pronounce it. I'm not sure this experience will help, but they sure loved it!

Feb 2016

First Hair Cut

Luke's hair was getting a bit too long, so I took the hair clippers to him. He was not happy. Screamed the whole time. I couldn't get very close to his ears because he kept thrashing and putting his hands back there, so not perfect, but works for now. And he's still cute. I count it as a win. 

Feb 10, 2016

   

 Emma and Jake love getting the beaters after I make brownies. Lucas saw them being enjoyed, and insisted he have one. So Emma graduated to the spatula, and Lucas now gets a beater. His life just keeps getting better and better. Look at that smile!

 He's getting so big so fast!

Feb 2016

Hospital Trip We Can Handle

 We had some girl cousins that came for a visit while they were in town for the piano guys.

(Kenadee, Emma, Jake, Maddie, Hallie, and Hannah)

 I went to check on them upstairs and they were doing surgery on Jake, while Kenadee was taking care of their baby (Luke). He loved all the attention, and even played along and stayed happy when they would put him in his crib. They even had a sign put up for the hospital directions (Surgery, Rooms, Cafeteria, Waiting, and "dead room".) Love their imaginations!

Feb 7, 2016

Party Time

Emma decided she wanted to have an all girls party at Jump Time this year. So I took the 6 girls there for an hour and they had a lot of fun jumping and running around together outside of school.

 Back home for presents and cupcakes.

(Emma, Kjirsten, Paisley, Jake, Alexandrea, Jocee, Cora)

And these cards just cracked me up... 8 year olds are so fun :)

Feb 6, 2016

Finn

Happy 8th birthday Emma!

After school, she opened presents, and she got a fish tank and supplies to pick out her very first pet. She was beyond thrilled. Even if it was just a fish. So we took off to Petsmart so she could pick out her Beta fish.

 Meet Finn, the most loved fish in all the world. Emma makes sure to say good morning to it every day, and talk to it whenever she passes by. She is very concerned if anyone "scares" him. She makes sure to put his food right in front of his face so he doesn't have to look for it... I've never been a fish person, but I must say, this fish is kind of fun to mess with. Quite often, when you get in his face, he'll puff out his gills like a lion mane around his face to try and scare us off. Emma thinks it's hilarious. So until we buy a house, looks like we'll be fish people. 

Feb 5, 2016

*Sigh*

Over the last few weeks, I've had to explain to anyone that comes for a visit why every single one of our chairs is lying on it's side on the ground. Lucas. It's always Lucas. He insists on climbing everything. He's fallen twice off the back of the couch -- right on his head, and off the kitchen chairs also. He's always moving the chairs to get at the fish, the drawers, the computer, and all the older kids' legos and homework on the table. If it wasn't 24/7, I could handle it... but it's constant. He's got a sixth sense for realizing when someone forgot to knock their chair over. I'll hear pounding on the computer (which has to be locked to prevent him from messing with my programs), or things crashing to the ground, and I'll quickly rectify the situation -- which ends with him in a tantrum. He's so happy when he's getting in to stuff, I sometimes just let him have it. He just wants to be one of the big kids -- and I just want him to stay little a little while longer.   

Hundreds of little hair elastics...  He sure causes a lot of trouble, but he makes up for it with his sweet smile and loving cuddles...I'm okay with that.

Jan -Feb 2016