Fun at the Beach

Recently, we went to the Outer Banks, North Carolina with friends.  We had fun at both the beaches we visited!  Naomi's most memorable event was being knocked off her feet by a wave.  She hadn't planned on getting in the water at the time, but the ocean had other thoughts.

Soundside

Oceanside

Fun with Bubbles

The girls decided to "grow" facial hair.  Or something like that.

Snow Fun

Five hours.

That's how long the kids stayed outside playing with the neighbors instead of going to school.

Snowball fights!  Guess who usually had the upper hand?

Just happy to be included.

Showing off his ammunition.

Her Indian name is Runs In Snow With Apple.

Playing Fox & Geese

I think this one should say, "And here we have a nice red minivan driving by for your viewing pleasure."

And what was Abigail doing this whole time?  Reading books, playing with lacing cards, and prancing around like all good three-year-old girls...

...in her swimsuit.

Three-Year-Old Speak, Part Two

You're tickling me in my heart.--used when she's really laughing hard

I love you a lot of times.--instead of just "I love you a lot." Daddy has responded with, "So, there are some times that you don't love me?" :)

beLAY--ballet

And even more comically:

I'm going to do beLAY at the temple. (We're not sure what she thinks goes on in a temple. I'VE never "done ballet" at the temple! :) )

Recently she asked ten yr old sister, AM, for a piggy back ride. AM said, "I'm not a piggy. I'm a human." So, without missing a beat, the three yr old asked, "Can I have a human back ride, then?"

Overheard in the Car

Observations by the four-year-old; comment by the two-year-old.


NE: Ewww! It smells like crabs in here!

Me: Crabs? You think so?

NE: Yes! I think Daddy and Uncle Matthew got crabs and ate them in the car on the way home from the airport.

Me: chuckling and confused (Uncle Matthew is half-way across the country.)

AE: Yah, it stinks! I think Uncle Matthew pooped in here!

Me: laughing so hard I'm crying


Of course I had to call Matthew, and inform him that our two-year-old thinks he needs to work on his personal hygiene.

Shimmy, Shake & Wiggle

Turn up your volume, and get ready to chuckle!



This girl's got STYLE!

Here's one more, just so you can watch baby sister do her own little wiggle:

Learning English

This morning our 22-month-old kept saying "duhrt". After a while I realized that she was asking for something. She got quite insistent and somewhat frustrated when I couldn't figure out what she wanted.

I tried everything:
drink? no.
are you hurt? no.
something with your foot? no.

Then she got distracted by her sister. I thought the translating game was over.

Nope.

She then brought me into the kitchen pointing to the refrigerator. I opened it up and started over:
drink? no.
carrot? no.
cheese? no. (I realize this sounds nothing like "duhrt", but we were desperate at this point!)

Then the light went on (you'd think since this is my fifth child, I would have done this sooner). I put her down and say, "Show me".

She moves a couple things around on the bottom shelf and points to "duhrt".

YOGURT!

whew. Who says a stay-at-home mom doesn't need an education?

Just for you, Janet

Here is the fourth picture from the fourth folder in My Pictures:

From last January, nine month old AE. If I remember correctly, she was bouncing/dancing to some music during her mealtime. This isn't the best picture capturing that effect, but it's the fourth picture in the fourth folder, and those were the stipulations...

Ambidextrous Baby

AE chose two spoons instead of just one, and I just had to record it. Shortly after I put the camera away, she abandoned one of the spoons and started scooping up the yogurt with her hand. Needless to say, the end result required a good scrubbing of the baby, highchair, floor, and wall!

Unhappy Baby

Today my baby hasn't been herself. She has been hit by allergies, and now she has a fever! Unfortunately, no matter what I do, she remains miserable. I had to just let her cry it out in her crib tonight. It breaks my heart to see her so sad because she is usually such a pleasant little girl.

L.L. is also having a not-so-great day: accidentally tripped by her older sister when they were outside, put down for a (once in a blue moon) nap by mom, accidentally scratched by her brother while he was swinging his arms around, allowed to run through the sprinkler then complained that it was too cold. The life of a four-year-old.

On a brighter note, today was a "stayed completely dry" day for N.E.!! Even when we ran errands and had to use THREE different public bathrooms. There's a story all in itself. Imagine, if you will, a small--the shopping cart doesn't fit in--bathroom that doesn't have a baby changing station. What to do with the baby while assisting the 2 yo on the huge toilet? Leave her in the cart outside the bathroom? Yeah, right. Hold her so she doesn't get close to the absolutely disgusting floor? If I was an octopus. The solution is not too difficult, actually. The 4yo gets to hold the door open, so I can help with the potty and keep the baby in the cart and see all the children at once. What 2yo wants privacy, anyway? It gets better though when I have to use the bathroom myself. When I was younger, I honestly never thought about praying for the safety of my children while using a public bathroom.

A shot of our cute little baby--OK, so maybe she's not so little anymore.

Here's Our One-Year-Old

Granna, Grandma & Granddad were all able to be here to help A.E. celebrate her first birthday!