P day

Linden is going through the alphabet at school this year. On P day they get to wear their pj's and bring their pillow. Miss Roberta even wears her pajamas. It's pretty cute and Linden was excited to wear his jammies.

On the last day

One last picture with Grammy before she has to leave tomorrow. We're so glad she came to visit!

Snaggle tooth

This boy likes to clink his uneven teeth together.

Blocks

It's always nice to play blocks when there isn't a little brother or sister to knock down your towers and when there is a grandparent ready to help you build a city.

Just kidding

Hadley told Grammy the weather was FREEZING. Of course, freezing for him is 55. But we also had an 80 degree day during her visit which Karen wasn't completely prepared for. She toughed out the warm weather though in her long sleeves and we enjoyed spending time outside.

Enjoying being loved on

Channing cannot get enough back scratches or have enough books read to her. In fact, she pretty much just sticks like glue to Grammy. Linden loves having books read to him as well. There is always a captive audience around.

Grammy's coming!

It's been since April that Karen has come to visit and it's quite exciting in our house that she's coming today. Stefan picked her up from the airport and when I figured they were getting close we waited and watched for them at the window.

Just like that

As Channing got bigger and her paci started looking smaller I was worried about taking it away. I knew the day would come that she'd have to give it up and I was worried about it. When she went for her check up at the dentist the hygenist told me that it was time and she suggested cutting off the tip of the paci. She said if we cut off a piece of the tip a little once a week or so she should just give it up. The first time she put her paci in her mouth after cutting of the tip was pretty sad. She kept telling us that her paci was broken and not working. We just told her it was the only one we had and we'd take it if she didn't want it but she didn't give up that easily.

I was noticing though that if we couldn't find the paci it was possible for her to go to sleep without it. I had gone out with the girls on Thursday night and Stefan couldn't find it so she went to bed without it. I went in her room when I got home though and gave it to her worrying that she might wake up and want it in the middle of the night. Friday she took it out of her room so for nap and bedtime we couldn't find it and she went to sleep without it again. I didn't find the paci for almost 4 days and when I finally found it, I just threw it away. She's never looked back and I'm thankful it wasn't a big deal. Just like that, we were done with it.

Boochie Ball

What started out as a cool morning turned out to be a beautiful day. After picking up Channing and Linden from school Hadley got out the boochie ball game. The game really is fun and will be even better someday when everyone can read. The only problem is that it's only for 4 people.... looks like we'll need another game someday so all of us can play.

Daddy's girl

Channing is always wanting to do whatever Daddy is doing, no matter what it is. She enjoyed the shaving cream all over her face until the menthol started stinging her nose.

First game

Linden started soccer on Sunday. He played great and we loved being there to watch his first go at organized sports.

He had a crowd there to watch him.

Daddy's home

A little love from Daddy when he gets home.

The Foam Block Place

As Sarah is nearing her due date she is wanting to do some fun things with her boys. We drove across town Wednesday to go to an open gym. Open gym time is also known as the foam block place to my kids and they loved it!

The trapeze into the foam blocks was really fun.

Check out the name on this big ball/hoop thing.

The popcorn

I promise I can cook! I thought I'd pop a bag of popcorn for snack the other day. I stuck it in the microwave for 3 minutes because our popcorn button really doesn't work and came back to a SMOKING microwave. I think it was a small bag of popcorn (like the 100 calorie kind) and obviously needed a lot less time to cook. It was quite the adventure. I opened all the windows and took the kids to the gym to get out of the house. I was really worried about Hadley's asthma. We came back to a cold and stinky house but at least most of the smoke was gone.

By the way, I did not turn this picture to black and white...

The big truck

Hadley worked on his "big truck" upstairs for a good while. You know you always have to look the part.

He even talked Channing and Linden into driving trucks on the beds as well.

He loves the stairs

This guy LOVES the stairs. He spends a lot of time climbing up the gate.

How many can you fit?

How many kids can you fit in a laundry basket? Looks like 3...

Now it's four...

Lego Maker

After spending hours building a lego castle, Channing destroyed it. Stefan and I worked and put it back together over Christmas only for Hadley to drop it while moving it to another table. Here he is studying the instructions trying to figure out how to put it back together on his own.

I think he finally gave up and went with it being the ruins in Cair Paravel from Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia. Looks like we have our work cut out for us again.

The Grumpy Girl

I got Channing up from her nap and set her on the couch. I thought she'd gone back to sleep and I'm not sure that if I'd left her alone she probably would have. She did however, wake up in a funk. It took here awhile to get used to the world again.

Soldier

Here is Hadley's soldier costume he got for Christmas. (He asked for an army costume) The camo boots were rain boots from my mom.

S'mores

With the weather being so cold Stefan has been making fires almost every night. I found some leftover marshmallows that I had bought to do a cute craft with the kids over the holidays which never happened so we used them to roast marshmallows. It was fun. Linden likes his marshmallows the same way I do, crispy on the outside and chewy inside.

All girl

I was painting my toenails Saturday morning and guess who wanted her toenails painted as well. At least I had help drying them.

Trying to catch her

As much as he tries he's not quite fast enough. It won't be long.

Just when I thought the day was uneventful

I was out taking picture of Channing and someone ran over to tell me Hadley had lost his tooth. It was loosened from a zip line injury then got completely knocked out playing football. We searched for it, but it was not found in Greg and Sarah's yard. Good news, the tooth fairy brings $2 when your tooth gets knocked out and you can't find it. :)

A girls day

Today Aunt Beth took Channing to the movie. She loved it and I think she felt pretty special that just the two of them went. I had already been warned that she would not want lunch later because of the popcorn they would be getting. She does get spoiled with her aunt but don't worry, Corbin will get a little extra love with Aunt Stacia.

Channing did not hesitate to hop in Beth's lap and take a picture after their date to memorialize their trip. :)

For you Mommy

Linden is forever my artist. He LOVES doing crafts and regularly makes me things. It's often that I hear the words, this is for you Mommy. Sweet boy!

Free time

Being out of school has been great and we are enjoying free time. This is what my kids like to do with theirs.

Nothing is better than putting together forts out of the kitchen chairs.

Everything's pink

I struggled not calling this post the evil stepsister. Channing got these shoes for Christmas LAST year and they barely fit then. She now squeezes her feet into them and it just reminds me of Cinderella's evil stepsisters trying to fit into the glass slipper.

Have I mentioned that everything is pink with this girl. If she is pretending to be a bear, she's a pink bear. If she likes dinner, it's a pink dinner.

Hadley has decided he likes giving her piggy-back rides. The princess doesn't mind being carried around. Hmmm..

My little goat

Right now Gibson reminds me of a goat the way he drinks his bottle. Yes, I know when I stopped nursing a little over a month ago I should have weaned him to a sippy cup but give me a break, he's the fourth kid. So we continued with the bottle and most of the time he drinks it standing. He'll drink a little, take a break, wander around and then come back to his bottle. He also liked to take breaks while he was nursing which was a big part of the reason I stopped.