Baby's first shiner

Thursday was take your daughter to work day, so the girls got to spend a little bit of time with Faron at the office. They are supposed to be 9 in order to come, but they are also supposed to come for the whole day, so we just let Isabella and Sophia go for about half an hour. (these pictures are in the court yard outside the office)

Alexander is a climber. He has been climbing the stairs for several weeks now, but yesterday, he climbed up onto the fire place.

He is usually pretty good about the stairs, he climbs up and then plays upstairs, he hasn't fallen down the stairs, until today. He was crawling towards the stairs and smiling at Faron, who was down on the couch. Apparently he wasn't watching where he was crawling cause he went right off the edge and down the stairs. Thankfully it is only 3 steps! He did, however get a few scrapes out of the deal.



It didn't slow him down for too long, he was chowing down on some barbequed potatoes and cauliflower for dinner.



A couple of nights ago Faron went down to check on the girls before we went to sleep. He came back up and said, "go look at Phia, then cover her feet". When went to see her, this is what I found. Those are plastic dress up high heels on her feet!

Baby Signing

Last week Alexander responded with his first sign. We teach all our kids Sign Language in their pretalking months of life. It has worked really well for us, they can tell us what they want, we understand them. They are much less frustrated with life, since they can express themselves and so on. Also, they have all been early and advanced talkers, so that has been nice too. Anyway, Alexander started signing "finished" last week. So, today I am trying to get a picture of it. It goes about like this:

Mama, "Alexander are you finished (signing finished to him also)?"
Alexander laughs, gets a huge smile on his face and says "more", while shoving more food in his mouth.














A few minutes later, after he stops eating and is just sitting there for a while.
Mama, "Alexander are you finished?"
Alexander laughs, smiles and says, "More"

Repeat a few minutes later.

Several minutes go by, more sitting around and looking finished.






Mama, "Alexander are you finished?"
Alexander smiles, slightly moves his hands in the finished sign, but is more facinated by the camera than signing right now






Finally, after many more, "Alexander are you finished?" times, he is finished, but never does admit it for the camera.

5 years

Friday was my 5 year wedding Anniversary. We didn't do a whole lot to celebrate, because we are going on vacation next week, so we couldn't really hoopla it up. Plus Faron had to go to work that night at 8, but was back around 10 so we got to spend some time together and reflect a little. 5 years, 3 homes, 3 kids, 2 dogs, lots of experiences.
It has been a good 5 years. We have a wonderful relationship and really love each other and enjoy each other’s company. I couldn't be happier with the life and the family that God has given me.

In keeping with my responsibility to that family that God has given me, I spent Friday and Saturday at a 9-3ish at a home school conference. It was pretty good, I took 6 or 7 seminars, looked at tons of products and curriculum. I didn't learn anything major, but it was all good and insightful.

Yesterday afternoon it was actually warm enough to let the kids play in some water outside. They have been wanting to since about January! I didn't want to blow up the whole kiddie pool thing, so we brought out these two storage tubs and they each had their own little pool. They had fun and played in there for about an hour. Alexander, who now loves water (doing a complete turn around since his days of hating the bath) stood up on the side of Sophia's "pool" the whole time. Periodically he would bend down, grab a hand full of grass and drop it in her water. She enjoyed that (sarcasm)

My kids are funny

My kids are so funny. I'm sure everyone's probably are, but mine just crack me up! Yesterday I come out of my room, after having been there for about 1.5 minutes and start looking for Alexander. He is on the move so there is no telling what room he is in. Then I see it, someone left the bathroom door open and through it, I see the shower curtin wiggle! There he is, just chillin in the shower.


Then there is Isabella, I walk by the countertop and see the cake topper from my wedding cake, the groom just happens to now be wearing a baloon like a hat.



Later, I am fixing Sophia's hair and it is poking up all over the place while I am trying to brush it into a pony tail. Isabella laughs and says "Sophia, you look just like my great-grandfather when he was a baby!"
Where do they come up with thing like this?!

Easter

We had a good Easter. On Saturday we played with Grandma and Grandpa and Auntie Tenna and Uncle Matthew and Ella and Lane at the park in Maryville for several hours (I sun burned my face) .














Then we went to St. Joe and had dinner with Grammy and Pop, Uncle Gabe and Auntie Angie and Isaiah and Nehemiah. Pop BBQed a pork roast, lamb burgers and some veggies. Angie made a veggie casserole, her famous chocolate cake and some biscuts. I made Isrealie salad, Greek pizza, deviled eggs and pita bread with hummus. We feasted.

Apparently this is the only picture I took.


We all went to Church to the next morning at Calvary Chapel, then back to KC for us.











The kids and I went shopping Monday for post Easter, Easter dress sales. I figured I should stock up if this is the only time of year they are going to have pretty dresses that are actually long, for heaven's sake. So, we found abou 5 dresses, reasonably priced, which prompted more pictures today.

Very Random

I have some very random quotes to post this time, I just don't want to forget all the funny things the kids do and say, but I usually do!

From Isabella's birthday party:

Aunt Marilyn (looking at a small cup full of Daffodils and dandelions Isabella had on the kitchen table) "Those are beautiful birthday flowers, Isabella"
Isabella "They are not birthday flowers, they are just regular flowers"


Isabella "Uncle Gabe, let's play a game, let's play Joseph."
Uncle Gabe "Watch out for Lot's wife"
Isabella "It's Pottifar's wife"
Uncle Gabe "oh, yeah"


As Isabella is opening presents. Isabella pulls a present out of a gift bag:
Sophia "It's a HEAD"
(it was a barbie head and shoulders for you to fix her hair)

Later, playing with that same toy
Isabella (speaking for the head) "I'm your sister"
Sophia (speaking for another "regular" barbie) "you don't have any arms"







Isabella (trying on her new coat, dress and hat that Grammy got her) "this hat is ridiculous, I can't see a thing"

Good Mommy

Today was a good mommy day, some days I feel like I am a good mom, for various reasons. Today just felt like a good mommy day, there was minimal fighting (amongst the girls) and I even got a little accomplished. I finished painting the living room yesterday, so I got my pictures put back on the walls today. We read books, played, I exercised, cleaned the kitchen, did Isabella's reading lesson, weeded the flower bed out front and we even played outside for about an hour. After dinner I played piano for a little while, then we sang songs and told stories before bed time.

Now, if tomorrow can be good too...

Isabella's birthday party is Saturday, so I have to finish up the details for that, and whip my house into shape before Saturday afternoon, oh and head to the homeschool used curriculum fair Saturday morning. I am trying not to think about all the things I need to do so that I won't stress out. It all comes together in the end anyway.