School Art Show

Brady and Reese's school held an Art Show on Sunday. The girls were very excited to show off their masterpieces they have worked on since January. You can see the pride in their faces. I just had to share these beautiful smiles with you. The art is pretty darn good too. 

Funny Food Faces

I have realized I am sucker for a baby covered in food. I almost go to grab for the camera when one of my babies is a human napkin.

Here is my collection of Elli covered in all types of food...

Some Reesey Poo Food Faces...

Lastly, Brady Boo Food Faces...

Fly by

Only at base housing do you live directly under the low fly over flight pattern that rattles your dishes on a regular basis.















- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Swing-N-Slide

For Brady's birthday, we ordered Brady a wooden play set. It said to give at least of month for delivery, well we got it in a week. So Brady got an early present.  To save a few hundred dollars we decided to build it ourselves, even though it was a huge undertaking, I think we quite enjoyed ourselves.

This is the BEFORE pictures... empty plot of yard and lots of piles of wood (that we had to measure and sort, there was no labeling)

We have awesome neighbors that volunteered to help. So we set up water fun for the kids, ordered pizza and made it a family fun night with neighbors. 

The first night: three men, four hours, three pizzas, 20 breadsticks...

And a little last minute help from the littles

...we have a deck and three swings. Phew... this thing is a lot of work!

At the end of day one, Brady told me it was the best day of her life. She had a "water slide party and a pizza party and she got a new swing set!"

DAY TWO: Reese and I sleep in. I wake up to Karl taking care of Brady and Elli while doing this!

Karl and I work together and take turns building throughout the day. 

The end of day two adds a second deck, slide, ladder, rockwall and window.

Day three is mother's day, so we take it easy on the building and add just the picnic table.

Karl even celebrated all the hard work... only monkey bars left.

Hopefully there are years of fun and memories ahead. But honestly, I think the experience of building it together as a couple and with neighbors really created its own set of fond memories.

What do you think?

Karl's passport photo when he was about 6 weeks old.

Elli now

Elli at about 4 months old

Elli at 3 weeks old

What do you think?

Who made this mess single-handedly?

OH NO!

Not seen in the photo above...Candyland scattered all over, included meticulously placing the cards in the cart and bunk beds.

Math-Minded

I had a very cool experience with Reese tonight.

I was reading a book that encouraged the kids to count how many stars were on a page. Both Brady and Reese tried to count simultaneously out loud,  I suggested they each count a section then we could add the two together. There were 5 on one page and 6 on the other. I asked "what is 5 + 6?" Brady answered 10 quickly while Reese said 11!

I asked Reese how she knew that so quickly. She says "well, mommy, five and five makes ten and six is one more so that is eleven." HOLY COW people she is using logic to simplify math. This is a trick I was trying to teach my eighth graders when I taught public school. For example I would say 6+7 is also 6+4+3 which is 10+3 or 13. Often times this was over their head and my four year old just came up with it on her own...so freaking cool!!!!!

Naturally this frustrated Brady; her reply "My teachers always tell me that I am good at adding, now I have to work on it some more" Oh Brady, just like your papa. Logic for Reese and work for Brady. Either method works and I am lucky to have such smart girls.

Oh my math heart will go to be smiling tonight!

Orthnerisms: Long Lost Episode

Brady wrote a note to her neighbor friend when we was over playing. Then she read it to him.

"From: Brady To: Jack You are my boy"

Jack simply responds "I am not your boy, I am your best friend!"

I teared up from the sweet exchange. Then I was thinking wow put a check in the box next to first love letter written.
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You know when babies shake their head no like they are dancing? Elli, like most babies, does this all the time and with a smile.

With my first two I would say "shake shake shake" and it would prompt them to do it. However, someone recently told me they call their baby 'wild woman' when she does that. I liked it so I have changed over to calling 'wild woman.'

One morning at breakfast, Elli was up to her antics and I was sweetly calling her wild woman.

Reese: "Mom, does Elli have a lot of money?"

Me: "Not really, why do you ask?"

Reese: "Well, if you are a wild woman that means you have a lot of money."

Me: ....thinking how on earth did she equate wild to rich?!?!?!?!

iPhone Worthy

I always laugh at what photos end up on my iPhone. Here is my most recent captures. They all have a story which is why I love digging through my phone pictures!

Reese is still in love with this dress. She wears it every laundry cycle. But this picture is also special because I had time to snuggle with her and just her one morning. 

 When Dewy misses his daddy he spends about 15 minutes each morning running around the house up and down stairs whining while holding this big toy in his mouth. As if he is on a mission and the angel dog toy is his sidekick.

I have completely let go of guiding the girls in their clothes selection. I will only decide if they are covered and appropriate for the weather. This day Reese put on just tights with this 'dress'. I told her she needed to have something that would cover her bottom, and these floral shorts apparently was exactly what she needed!

 One morning Elli woke up while I was getting showered and dressed. Brady asked if she could go into the nursery with her. This is what I walked into. Sisters are the best thing in the world.

And lastly, I may have another girly girl on my hands. Yesterday, Elli only got about 30 minutes of a nap. She was cranky by dinner time so I was having a hard time getting the cooking done. Then all of a sudden she was quiet and happy for like 20 minutes straight. What turned her frown upside down? PURSES! Oh boy, at least I know what to expect out of girly girls since I have raised two already. 

a milestone worth celebrating

When is a milestone worth celebrating? When is it worth sharing the excitement with family, friends and other moms? When will others rejoice with you? 

If a baby hits a milestone early, am I bragging if I share my excitement?

If a baby hits a milestone in a timely manner, will anyone care, since the baby is 'normal'?

If a baby hits a milestone late, will others question why I celebrate it since the milestone should have celebrated already?

I have three kids, and as babies, I had one to develop at a 'normal' rate, an early rate, and a delayed rate. I have found the of these three situations, I get most excited when the baby that is delayed hits a new milestone. People see her, ask her age, then usually follow with a "Is she crawling yet?" type question. I like it when I can say YES. 

I have learned to celebrate all milestones regardless of the age. Not only with my kids but others. If a mom shares a milestone with me, that means they are celebrating it. I therefore celebrate it with them. I don't consider age as a factor in the celebrating. I have a friend whose child is about Brady's age and hitting milestones years after Brady. But when she gets excited that a milestone is met in our presence, I am honestly celebrating with her. 

I remember the first day Brady walked across a room; July 4, 2008, 12.5 months old. We celebrated this milestone, gosh fireworks flew all over America, but I was a proud momma. 

I remember the day Reese walked across the room; Novemeber 10, 2009, 10.5 months old. We celebrated this milestone, with cake and a surprise party (okay maybe it was my sister's 30th birthday too). I was a proud momma. 

Elli Dew was diagnosed today with Hypotonia. She has low muscle tone. She is delayed in gross motor skills. But, I have known that she is hitting gross motor milestones later, big deal, a name to go with what we already know. She will be starting physical therapy whenever I work through all the red tape. I was told to expect Elli to walk her 15 month birthday or later. Guess what, when that day comes I will celebrate and I will be a proud momma.