Beautiful in Blue!

I just love Texas in the spring! The blue bonnets are probably my favorite thing :). It has been a while (like before Mhari) since we've done the traditional blue bonnet pictures so here is the long overdue photos!
I was also very motivated since I was tired of having a snowman for our family picture when it's now spring!

Isn't Mhari just a cute little Punkin!



Our little Chica Sandra (she didn't agree with the blue dress code for the photo shoot)



Our 2 boys: Grant &



Talmage :)




Our 4 little beauties!

The flowers look great this year! I'm glad I got some pictures before it gets too hot and they are all gone, until next year that is :)

Wishes or Weeds?

As a kid I loved making wishes and blowing dandelion seeds! It was so wonderful to watch the seeds float through the air!

Now as an adult dandelions represent weeds and their seed state is the worst - all of those little seeds flying through the air to make that many more dandelions that will eventually make more seeds... it is never ending with the weeds!

As adults our perspective changes on a lot of things. Sometimes this is good - really who wants a yard full of weeds right?! Maybe we need to remember the simple pleasures of being a child and enjoying nature in all of its wonder and wishes with all of their possibilities! I need these moments of innocence and joy as an adult! Our children can be our best teachers if we are willing to learn and understand as they do!

1st Grade - Stone Soup!

Talmage had his 1 st grade performance this week. They did a play/skit called "Stone Soup". It was fun to talk to Talmage about making stone soup and if people really made soup from stones. The kids did great. It was so fun to get to see him sing the songs and say his lines!



He was a towns person (not a traveler) and his line to the travelers was "It's all we can do to feed our own families right now. Times are tough you know."



I really must say that over the last few years Talmage has really grown in this area. He sang every song and did a fabulous job with his line (seriously - better than the other kids, not because I'm his mom or anything). The only complaint about the night was that his voice hurt from singing all the songs. What a good sport!

Thanks for the fun night!

No more naps?!

Over the last few weeks Mhari has been having a hard time during quiet time. She will play and then start coming out of her room, instead of going to sleep for her nap :(. The only problem is that then she's cranky and will fall asleep during odd times of the day...

Like on the way home from church.


Or when Daddy is holding her when she's been fussy in the evening.


It seems that her daddy is missing out on some naps too :). They both fell asleep with in a few minutes of each other!

I don't mind transitions... well, I deal with them. It's just frustrating to have a cranky, stubborn, two year old around. The days she does still nap she seems to be happier. I guess I need to work on wearing her down more during the morning :).

I'm not ready for her to stop napping. They grow up so fast!

Famous Artist!

Last week Grant brought home a paper from school saying that he had art work that had been included in the school art fair! So cool! Grant was very excited. It was being displayed at the downtown library and we made a family trip out to see the artist's work :)



He made two dragons out of model magic (play dough). Looks pretty good for a 6 year old :)

Here he is in front of his work. Look at that smile! What a cool thing to get to be included in!




Top view of the dragons.



His admiring audience.... or siblings :)



Grant has been creative since I can remember! It's fun to see your child's talents recognized by others too. We love you Grant!

Girl fun!

Last Saturday after baths I asked if the girls wanted to have curly hair. They were both excited so I spent some time rolling up all of their hair. They were so good and patient! They slept with them in all night to earn their curls!



When I took them out the next morning their hair practically stuck to their heads. It was cute, but not really what I was going for. I took some time fiddling with the curls and using gel and ended up with two little curly girls!

Here's the front...




and the back :)



Sandra was sad that by the end of the day her curls were not very curly anymore. I guess she though her hair would always be curly now :). I told her we could do it again some time.
The boys thought it was funny and said that Mhari looked like Bree, their cousin. Too funny!

Sandra has been asking to have her nails painted since I had mine done at the end of Feb. I finally gave in and painted her and Mhari's finger nails earlier this week.

They were really good about sitting there and not touching things with their fingers. When I was done they each had to sit there and blow on them for a while too (we were about to eat lunch, great timing I know).



It was just a light pink so it's hard to see, but the girls were so happy!

By that afternoon Sandra had chipped some off and was disappointed that these wouldn't last forever. Something else that we'll get to do lots and lots with these two cute girls. It's been fun to do some girly things with my daughters. They sure grow up so fast!

Bikers!!

Last week we went to the church to let the kids have some space to ride bikes. It has been beautiful outside and it was nice to get out! Over spring break Talmage was riding his cousins 2 wheel bike and doing really well. I figured our time had come and the training wheels were coming off. OK, so 7 and 6 are a little old to still have training wheels, but let me tell you how much nicer it was to take them off and have the boys just ride - no falling, no crying (which would have been the case a few years ago)! So wonderful!

Sandra is still a ways away from getting hers off, but she got some good practice in with her training wheels. Mhari does great on her scooter and will transition well to bikes eventually. I'm sure our kids could do these things sooner, but my motivation isn't that high (and there's no sidewalks by my house)!

It was a nice evening outside!




The kids really liked the little ramp :)

Jeff teaching Talmage how to turn with the peddle out of the way.


Watching Daddy was almost as fun as watching the kids :)!

Socks

I don't think anything too exciting has been happening the last couple of weeks (hence the lack of blog posts). It has gotten bad enough where I notice I haven't even taken any pictures. I'm sure I should just use my camera more (like when Mhari sneaks the huge bag of Reece's Pieces while I'm in the shower - priceless, yet no picture). Well with the two photos I have taken it's turned into a sock theme...

Mhari, actually I think Sandra started it, but Mhari kept it going, really likes to have socks on her hands. Maybe it has something to do with the snow and not having gloves, hmmm. Anyways, a few days ago Mhari and Sandra wanted socks on their hands. No big deal. It was cute :). When it was time for bed Mhari wouldn't take hers off. By the next morning they were still there.
She was very cute eating breakfast with them on!

I think once they got wet with milk she was fine with me taking them off. Silly girl!


Our other sock story is about baby socks...

I have received some hand me down clothes for our little boy. My other babies were born during cooler weather and I really don't have anything for a summer baby. Last night I was going through some clothes and unrolled some of the socks. I had to laugh... my babies feet are never that small! Knowing that I'll probably go full term which means at least an 8 lb baby the tiny socks looked like doll socks, not baby socks. I was laughing about it and showing Jeff. His feet were handy and it turned into a joke that it's a toe sock, not a real sock! OK, so don't be grossed out that the sock was on Jeff's foot - it just proves how tiny it really is!

I'm looking forward to having another little one around. After they start getting so big (and Mhari is really big) I think it will be a nice change :). The kids are so excited for summer to come (so the baby can be born). Sandra asks almost every day if tomorrow is summer. With the arrival of April it seems that July will be here in no time! I just have lots to get done before then :).