experiment

The boys have been really excited about science-y stuff lately. I found this experiment on pintrest. By the way, I hate pintrest. Well, really I love it, but I hate the crazy amount of time that is sucked out of me whenever I go on there. There are way too many cool things to see and try out. So here it is, our experiment. We started with milk, dish soap, food coloring, bowls and spoons. All things we already had in our house.

Pour milk into bowl, add drops of food coloring. Matix was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He thought this was the whole experiment. :)

Then put a drop of soap on the end of the spoon. You can use toothpicks if you want, or your finger maybe...? Then touch that soapy spoon on the color drops and watch them spread away from the soap. It is a really cool reaction.

Eventually both boys ended up just stirring it all up into a solid color. Hawken wanted to paint with it, so then I let them "paint" their paper towels. Simple fun.

We did it a couple times before I decided that we wasted enough milk for one day. Here is the end result of one of Matix's. Cool, right?

baby doll

Lullaby got this baby doll for Christmas, and another baby doll just because, and she LOVES them. They are some of her favorite things to chew on. :) Lately, she chews on everything. These dollies though, she sometimes just snuggles. Adorable.

worms

It's when we are outside that I see the boys' creativity and curiosity come to life. One day we spent HOURS digging up worms. Tiny little worms were hiding under the leaves, and the boys, especially Matix, were fascinated. After finding one, pulling it up, and laying it on the slide for closer inspection, Matix would talk to the worm, telling him all kinds of secrets. Those lucky worms. He watched them wriggle and move so carefully, like he was taking notes. He would gently put them back on the ground and start the search for another. I loved watching him this day.

Lullaby's book

Lullaby's book is coming along nicely... Considering I only have to take 1 posed picture per month, it's the perfect project for me right now. I feel like I am so busy all day everyday, and have very little to show for it. :) I guess that's life with three wild kiddos. Here is the photo for 4 months (January 10th)... Even though it doesn't usually snow here, most places in January, it does, so I stuck to the norm. Which photo is better?

My new dilemma... my favorite editing site picnik.com is closing in another couple months, and I am super bummed. Supposedly they are linking up with google+, but not with all the features. Sigh.

river park

We call this park, "river park" because it has a river than runs along one side. You actually have to cross the river to get to the play area from the parking lot. The boys thought that was pretty much the best part of the whole day. :) Plus, there are trees here in Georgia that drop these crazy looking seed pods. They are hard to walk on, but super fun to toss over the rails of the bridge to the fish below.

The boys enjoyed yet another really well kept and EMPTY play ground. As soon as the schools started letting out, a few more kids came, but until then, it was just us.

Also, they have a baseball diamond, tennis courts, basketball courts and there is this new (?) game. It is called "the NEOS wall" and it says it's a "light catching game"... What? Has anyone ever seen this before? Is it fun? After I took a picture of Matix in front of it, he asked to take my picture in front of it too. This is what Lullaby and I look like these days. You never see one without the other. :)

dress up

These boys love to play dress up. The favorite costumes are Sully and Batman (or any of the other capes and masks). These boys are too fun. Sometimes they are in character all day (Batman only eats mac and cheese for lunch - for example), other times they want to wear their costumes just as their clothes...

Matix asked that I take a picture of him in this pose. Silly.

bath time baby

Since Lullaby can sit up by herself now (fairly well), she thinks she needs to do it all the time. In the car seat she is always straining to sit up, and never lets her head rest back. In the tub, she does the same thing. She can't just have a relaxing bath, she is working those muscles the entire time. Silly girl. Can you tell from the pictures how much she is straining? :) And the rolls. I love how chunky she is.

Plus, check it out! She is getting some HAIR on her head (other than the little mullet thing she has going on in the back)... HOORAY!

So far it pops up right on the top like a Kewpie doll, adorable. I can hardly wait for the piggy tail days! I can't really tell what color it will be though. It looks like it might be a reddish-brown? But who knows really, Hawken came out with black hair and now he's a blondy...

Lullaby

Little miss Lullaby Loo... Oh you are so sweet. You are the world's most perfect baby. I can hardly believe how lucky I am to have you. Lullaby is almost 5 months old already. She is growing by leaps and bounds and has been following in her brothers' footsteps in reaching many milestones on the early side. She is sitting alone, although still a bit wobbly. Lullaby smiles and coos and "talks" all the time. She is rediculously ticklish and her laugh is just edible.

She eats rice cereal now, even though I am pretty sure she hates the taste of it, smiles the whole time because she likes the social aspect of it all. She takes 3 naps a day, and the middle one coincides with the boys' nap (hooray!). She doesn't sleep through the night, but with all the growing she has been doing, it makes sense that she would need to refuel more often. :) When she gets upset, it is very easy to calm her down. Her brothers are always ready to help. They hold her hands and kiss her face and sing her songs.

Lullaby, you are the sweetest little thing. I love you like crazy and I am so proud to be your mommy.

Matix

Matix, where do I start with this kid? He has such a BIG personality. He knows exactly what he wants and has his entire day planned out the minute his eyes pop open. He is more sensitive and emotional than any child I have ever met too. If things don't go his way, even if they slightly deviate from his plan, he loses it.

He has great ideas and will help anyone that needs it. He shares very well, even when we don't prompt him to (most of the time). He loves life and being the biggest brother. He loves to role play and will tell you exactly what you're supposed to say and do for your part. He says he is going to marry Anna when he grows up, and Emmy, and me. He loves to watch movies with bad guys in them, so he can fight them and save the princess (and usually ends up kissing them...).

Matix loves to watch over Lullaby, and takes such sweet care of her. I love you Matix man. You are one of a kind and I love every minute of being your mommy.

Hawken

This little Hawken man has my heart wrapped up in his little fingers. He has been growing by leaps and bounds and is always amazing me.

I love that he still wants me to hold him and carry him, while Matix tells me, "Mommy, I'm hurting your muscles. I'm getting too bigger for you to hold me." Hawken comes in every morning and loves on me and tells me he missed me. When he goes to play outside in the yard, he tells me, "Don't be sad mommy, I'll be home soon. I love you mommy.", to which I answer, "No, I love you baby." and he says back "No, mommy, I love YOU." which we play back and forth and back and forth.

He is such a crazy little boy too. With a great imagination and no fear. He loves to climb up on anything and everything and jump off, just to do it all over again. He tells stories about lions and monsters and breaking all his bones and then tells me in a comforting voice, "It's okay mommy, I just pretending." I love you Hawkers. You are too much fun and I love being your mommy.