museum

Another museum day, this time we spent most of the day exploring the area about Vietnam. What does rural life in Vietnam look like? What fairy tales and folklore come from Vietnam? What traditions and other cultural things are Vietnamese people known for? The kids had a great time exploring it all.

Also, the vet clinic.

And a quick bike ride before going back home. Notice Lullaby in the basket. And Solace watching intently. He wants so badly to join in their fun.

baby food

Solace loves peas, green beans, bananas, blueberries, apples, and pears. He will eat them all happily.

He still HATES sweet potatoes. Really, I try to sneak in a bite once in a while, and he has the same reaction. I'm going to wait another month and try it again, but for now, sweet potato baby food will not be on my shopping list. :)

St. Patrick's Day

Our St. Patrick's Day started with opening packages from Grandpa Chuck and Grandma Stacy. The kids were thrilled!  They got a couple new movies, candy, tattoos, stickers... they couldn't have asked for more. Thank you both!  And, by the way, the movie "The Gruffalo" is the cutest movie ever. We have watched it a million times already. So clever, and cute, and funny.

Then we made a "leprechaun trap", to see if we could trick those little fellas into leaving their gold under a FAKE rainbow. The kids thought for sure it would work, and during nap time, it DID. :) It was all meant to be for fun, but Hawk got really nervous about little men sneaking into our house, so I told him they were just pretend and showed him some google images of cartoon leprechauns. He was too scared to nap alone, so I slept next to him, in case those leprechauns were real and I was wrong... Just in case, you know.

After eating the candy wrapped in gold, he decided he liked leprechauns. Then we made rainbow pictures for some friends and ding dong ditched them along with some gold. Sort of a pay it forward kind of St. Patrick's Day. We got candy, so we gave some friends some candy. The kids loved it. They each chose one friend. Lullaby chose Summer (then she and Hawk fought over whose picture they would leave there, since his choice was originally Logan).  After leaving Lullaby's note (she drew her rainbow all by herself) and gold coins, I picked up Lullaby, banged on the door and ran with her back to the car.  She loved it.

Then it was Hawk's turn. He chose Elle, a friend from preschool. He told me that she needed to have the surprise because she had a broken heart. :) He was SO excited to park down the street and make a run for it. He did great.

Matix chose his friend Jackson. He didn't want me to come with, since he could do it by himself, but I wanted a picture. Plus I wanted to be sure he actual ran. He has a habit of telling secrets and not letting surprises be surprises, so I thought he might have just knocked on the door and stood there for when they answered it.  He did great though and ran.

I am able to post this because Matix has since announced that we did this to the friends who read our blog. Of course. Stinker Matix.  Then we went for free green ice cream from Chick-Fil-A, with sprinkles! Best day ever.

Solace and I were there too. I promise. :)

free books

So ever since I found out about the free book thing at the Children's Museum, we have been having sandwiches for dinner on Thursdays. :) I just can't pass up free fun, especially BOOKS! One Thursday, we had Mindy and her kiddies come too. Paul came too after he got off of work. It was a fun day! Lullaby with Summer (a rare moment of Lullaby being nice to Summer, and Summer not screaming).

Sweet Sully. Being his happy self.

The boys with Logie, Logan, Loags, Low... He has many names, and the boys LOVE him.  I'm pretty sure they think he should be their other brother.

My favorite part, story time. The story teller is pretty good and, again, FREE BOOKS! Come on people! This is crazy!

Oh, and this sweet picture of Hawken playing with Solace. He is so good to want to include him. It makes me so happy to see. :) Although, I'm not too sure Solace thought getting a phone shoved in his ear was very fun...

family time

Games have been something we have been doing lots of as a family. Paul gets to see the kids for such small amounts of time each week, so we almost always have some sort of activity, even if it's just games at home.

The kids always remember the fun things we do together, so I want them to remember some times with Paul too, even though the actual amount of time he spends with them is so small. Cooties are a favorite! :)  Solace was already sleeping, but the BIG kids still had an extra 20 minutes before bed when Daddy got home to play. They were so happy.

Lullaby is 2 and 1/2

Lullaby is 2 and 1/2. I can't imagine life without our sweet, feisty, princess baby.  She has been cracking us up lately with what she says. She lies and tells everyone she is three already. She makes friends when we go out by telling other bigger girls "I big like YOU, I free!". When asking her to do something, she almost always responds by saying "Ummmm.... No." at first, and then saying, "Okay, I sure will!".  One baby tooth on the top still hasn't come in. She smiles so hard sometimes that her eyes disappear and she is barely recognizable.  Her hair still curls, but when it's wet I can comb it straight and it goes 1/2 way down her back.  At night, she sings herself to sleep, and sometimes in the middle of the night she will sing too. She is completely potty trained now, even at naps and through the night. She ties blankets on like capes, and tells everyone her name is Elsa. She pronounces her name "wuw-bye" and says "binger" for 'finger' and "burst" for 'first'. She stomps around and jumps when she says she's dancing. She calls her belly button her "tiny button", enunciating the letter 'T' as always. She is smart and clever and beautiful.

She is one of a kind. She has a mind of her own. She loves or hates things, there is no gray area for her in any capacity.  Things Lullaby loves:

• piggy tails
• her special yellow blankie
• chasing the big boys
• holding Solace
• pretend to nurse her baby dolls - ha!
• anything with Daddy
• coloring
• getting her face painted - although not with an airbrush
• preschool activities
• being a BIG sister
• announcing what she has done in the bathroom - at home or in public bathrooms, everyone must know what she did in there...
• eating
• anything to do with her baby dolls
• choosing her songs at bedtime
• snuggling with Mommy when she wakes up
• her underpants
• her clothes that are pink or white
• her backpack
• butterflies
• puppies
• nail polish
• being the boss
• singing. All day everyday. Singing. Favorites lately are songs from Frozen.
• Baby Crissi, Pink Baby, Purple Baby, Bow Baby, Baby Judy and Birthday Baby - her favorite babies

Things Lullaby hates:

• being told 'no'
• sharing things she thinks could be broken
• being told what to wear
• being told what to eat
• really, being told anything that wasn't her original idea
• scallops, blood oranges, and every carbonated drink - these are the only things I have given her to eat/drink that she doesn't like, she's a really good eater
• when Daddy goes to work, or walks away from her, or doesn't pay enough attention to her
• when the boys don't include her in their games
• getting caught being naughty
• keeping her face clean, she is almost always a mess
• spiders and mosquitos 

These pictures are so typical Lullaby. She dressed herself. Tummy showing, piggy tails, too small tights, baby doll and yellow blankie in arms... Lulli is our princess baby for sure. She works the system. She tests her limits. She loves us tons and we love her. I'm so happy she's ours. I can't believe she is 2 and 1/2!

Children's Museum - again.

The Children's Museum (I know, most people who read my blog are sick of hearing about the same place over and over again!) has been doing special activities every day for spring break. They took two weeks to do it and it has been busier than ever.

We did lots of the regular stuff but also some of the extras like the bungee trampolines and the giant hamster balls. Really, we love this place.

Plus there is a special "act" each day, jugglers, dog show, silk rope cirque acts, the Harlem Globe Trotters, dance crews, etc. The jugglers were our favorites.  Even Solace turned himself around in his stroller so he could watch the show.

This is also a new found favorite. The game room. Giant Jenga and cup stacking. Who would have thought? We spent SO much time in here. Matix recruited two little girls to help him and Hawken finish this huge castle.

Then this happened literally just after I got everyone in the car, in their car seats, and the stroller put in. It couldn't have taken me longer than 10 minutes. I guess 6 hours of straight playing can take it right out of you when you're 2. :)