Mothers Day

You know what the problem with camera phones is? Its that I have way too many pictures of stuff. I guess that's a good thing too, but sometimes it overwhelms me. So I've decided to just start consolidating pictures and stuff, so this post is a Mothers day weekend post. Because I'm too lazy to do a post for everything that's happened. 

Friday before Mothers day Fox had his last day of preschool (aka letter group: aka a group of kids from church that get together and the moms take turns  trying to teach the alaphabet while the kids run around ;)). It just so happen that the last letter they learned was Z so we had a trip to the zoo!  It was cold and fun! 

One of the monkeys escaped!!

Mother's day was awesome! But I'm very grateful for a woman in church who was asked to give her thoughts on mothers day, and said, "I talked to my daughter and could hear the kids running around screaming in the background and told her, 'you know, honey, mothers day is fun in the morning when the kids give you gifts and are excited about it, but then it goes back to just being an ordinary day.'" She's absolutely right.

I loved mothers day. That morning the kids scavenged through their treasure boxes and trinkets and gave me the best of the best (aka batman, mileage club necklaces, and old valentines candy), Fox even gave me his prized helmet and monkey to "share...not to keep...but you can use them!" Then we went to church, came home, where Tony passed out on the couch (he had worked the night before), I made lunch, cleaned up lunch, made cookies, then shipped Tony to work again. But because of that comment made in church I didn't expect anything else. And the day turned out pretty fantastic.

The next day Tony surprised me by taking me to lunch for Mothers day! Which made it even more fantastic. And Ander gave me another awesome gift of sitting up in the highchair and the grocery cart. Another milestone! I think I may survive this kid!!

That night Emma brought home some things she had worked on in school but couldn't give me before then because she had been sick the Thursday and Friday before. I LOVE them! Especially the "her best friend____Me!" Love it! She knows me better than I realized.

And finally yesterday we went on a walk down by Tony's school where we talked about the fact that we only have a year left here. He surprised me by saying he was going to miss it here. I can see why, the school is absolutely gorgeous, but I guess a lot of what I hear are the stresses that come with school work and not the joy of the experience.

On the way home he stole these flowers off of some random persons lilac bush. He knows I love them. AND he's just romantic like that.

Sigh, what a man.

Spring!

I walked Liam to school today (Emma is home sick), and do you know what this morning felt like? It felt like spring. The kind of feeling that make you want to jump up and down and almost gives you chills! I'm so excited. Actually, the last couple of days have been fantastic and sunny and its been great! Our t.v. has been turned off. The heater no longer runs 24/7. I don't get begged to play electronics all day because my kids are all outside when they are home. It's fantastic! 

I came out one afternoon and found them surrounding this giant pile of worms that they'd dug up. After they had their fun with the worms they put them in our "garden" (a little square of ground that the church behind our house is letting us use this year for a little garden!! Yippee!). Unfortunately, not all the worms survived. But, don't worry, Fox cleaned out the dead ones. He told me. 

A few days ago Fox ran in from being outside asking for Emma. I told him she was in the bathroom, but she would be out in a minute. He showed me a small white flower he had picked for her and then whispered, "I'm gonna hide it." He tucked it behind his back then waited for Emma to come. She kind of smiled when he gave it to him, but didn't make a big deal out of it, but he didn't care, he did what he had come to do, so he smiled and ran back out the door. Things like that melt my heart! The fact that he found a flower and thought of Emma makes me very happy. A few minutes later he ran in and handed me another flower he picked. Being a mom's the best. 

 Yesterday the kids did a lemonade stand. It was stinking hot (like 85), so even though the lemonade seemed a little pricey to me, it still sold like hotcakes. I don't know what the kids are going to do when we move away from our prime lemonade/whatever-else stand real estate. Seriously, we have so many college students walking to school, and enough traffic to keep cars coming by, but still seem like a quiet street, they made $24 in 2 1/2 hours. That's a lot. I remember doing lemonade stands and making like 75 cents. Even on the super busy road that I grew up on. It's going to be a rude awakening when we move. (I love Emma's sign, btw. It makes me happy)

And heres a few pictures of this darling boy just for good measure. Life is good right now.

Ander 3 to 6 months

Ander turned six months yesterday! It is crazy. In one aspect I think 'how are you so old?' and in the other I can't hardly remember life without him. Remember how in the last post I did about him, he was a very difficult child? All that has changed. In his first two months I honestly thought I wasn't going to be able to do it. He cried ALL of the time. He now is the most pleasant child. He's happy most all the time. We made it through "the first three months" and it's paid off. He brightens all of our day and you couldn't ask for a cuter kid. 

At his doctors appointment yesterday we learned that he has doubled his weight (18, almost 19 pounds) and that he has a huge noggin (in the 95%). 

He loves, I'm mean LOVES, to chew on things and by things I mean any and everything. He gives violent, scary kiss, where he grabs hair, ears, or whatever else he can then fiercely chews on your chin, cheekbone, collarbone, ect (Except Tony who has whisker defenses, which is unfair, and takes away all the fun). He is quick to smile and giggle, and does so at anyone who'll give him the attention. He is the poor fourth child and has learned how to bounce himself in the bouncer seat by swinging his leg just right.

He's not a fan of baby food, it makes him gag (can you say, Tony's son?) but he loves any food he can hold and gnaw on.  He getting super good with his chunky little hands. He can roll from his front to his back but not back to front. 

He's chunky and rolly and smiley and perfect, so here are way too many pictures of him.

chewing on one hand is not enough

What happens when a cute picture goes horribly wrong, and I lose an eyeball.

kisses

I forgot to mention-He licks. Like a lot. And its weird. As in if you have him looking over your shoulder (and he's not biting you) you'll feel this lick, lick, lick and soon your shirt is soaked through. And when he's giving you "kisses" suddenly you'll feel a warm little tongue. Its weird and hilarious. Im pretty much covered in drool 24/7.

Happy Easter 2014!!

The Saturday before easter we headed to Reiman Gardens for their free easter egg hunt. I think we got 5 eggs that had a tootsie roll in each, but we got to get into the gardens, including the butterfly garden, for free so it was well worth it. 

Easter morning was relaxed but quick. We had church at 9 that morning, we were heading to a friends house for Easter lunch right after, then Tony had to work that night! It was a whirlwind of easter candy and goodness! The kids each got new scriptures and lots of candy!! Yay candy!! :) It was a great day celebrating the resurrection and all that we have because of Christ.