Good For a Laugh

While in downtown Richmond walking Carry Street Kaden stood right by a man who was smoking and said "I always wanted to try blowing smoke out of my mouth"

Later he walked up to a man holding out a cup asking for money and said "so are you poor?"

While in the car Chris said "grandpa is an old fart" and Taycee replied "the stinkiest fart I ever did smell!"

Kaden was being particularly flatulent one night and after a chorus of noises from his rear end I said "Kaden! My word!" and he said "What mom? I am just digesting!" He then went on to tell me how food is digested and can create stinky gas.

Yesterday Taycee asked me if she could sell all her toys to fly back and live with grandma. -- okay that wasn't so funny.

Addison never gets or gives a kiss without following it up with a "YUUUCK!"

For the past few months Kaden has insisted he wants to be a chef when he grows up. Yesterday he told me he changed his mind and wants to be a meteorologist. When I asked why he said "because when you are a chef you never get to eat until everyone else is done. I am hungry a lot and I don't think I could do that." Sound reasoning my son.

The kids both filled out a sheet at school about me. It made me laugh.

 Apparently I over stress the importance of vegetables. 

This sweet note also came home with Kaden

 Dear Mom, I love what you cook. You are special because you take care of me. When you hug me I get filled with joy. Love -Kaden

A bee landed on my head while I was doing Taycee's hair. I called Chris in to get rid of it. This is what the bathroom looked like when he was done. 

I should have let the bee live. 

Nine and Ten

Oh my sweet sweet Brie,

       Words will never to justice to the peace you bring into our home. Four kids is hard yet you somehow calm my nerves in a way that nothing else can. I live for the moments I can scoop you up out of your crib and nuzzle my nose into your neck.  

At nine months you were scooting everywhere. You have little blisters on your right toe and ball of your foot because that is your "pushing" foot. You can get everywhere you want to go and I usually end up dragging you away from the puppy food. 

 You like to say "uh oh" and you say it quite often. You jabber a lot especially while we are driving in the car.

You are happy 95% of the time. When I took you in for your last checkup the doctor informed me that you are cutting all four top teeth at the same time. Never would have known. 

 You love your sisters so much. Taycee you light up when you see them coming and watch their every move. That love is mutual.

 At 10 months you are getting up on your hands and knees and rocking back and forth but you have yet to actually crawl. You LOVE to eat. You eat everything and always want more. Cheerios aren't your favorite but they will appease  you if there is nothing else to munch on. 

 You seriously dislike standing. You won't put your feet down and hold your legs straight out so that your bum is the first thing to touch the ground. If there is something you really really want, you stand just long enough to grab it and then sit back down. 

 You think the phone is a funny thing and when I put it up to your ear while someone is talking you giggle. You love to bang on the ipad and make the pictures move around. You really dislike being left in a room alone and always want to be right where the action is. You love to be on my hip, it is probably your favorite place to be and I think my posture has permanently changed so that my right hip is always slightly jutted out.

But above all, you make me happy. 

At 10 months you are

22 lbs  - 75%

31.5 inches 99%

Head 18 in.  75%

No surprise really... actually with all the food you consume I am surprised you weren't off the charts.

~10 never forgets~

1. When you drink your bottle your legs are always up in the air. When you use to nurse you usually propped them up on my chin.

2. You love your toes and examine them quite often.

3. If I am eating and not sharing with you you get quite offended and let me know it.

4. You think sneezing is hilarious and laugh each time someone does.

5. When I am changing your diaper you always turn your head back as far as you can to grab the powder or lotion on your changing table and then you happily babble and play with the bottle while I finish changing you.

6. Your shirt is always a little grey on the front from the constant dragging across the floor.

7. The way everyone stops whatever it is they are doing to tell me how beautiful you are.

8. The sweet way your little voice says "uh oh" over and over

9. The peace that fills my soul when I scoop you up in my arms. 

10. They way your blanket must be nuzzled right up against your nose before you will close your eyes and sleep. 

Love you more and most baby girl. 

Don't Get Mad, Get Angry

Every Easter Chris chooses a project for his Easter Eggs. In the past he has created such things as a pineapple and Abraham Lincoln. This year, with the encouragement from Ben he took on a whole flock. And so the Angry Bird project commenced.

It wasn't easy. Between Ben, Kelsey Chris and I we managed to complete the ensemble in about an hour and a half. The black one was especially tricky, and after trying die, pen and marker we finally resorted to fingernail polish. But before the night ended we had a flock of angry birds plus one pig on our table .

The next day the kids and I made these Easter tombs

 Chris and Cass hid the eggs outside for the hunt. Unfortunately Phoebe also snuck outside with them and had a little egg hunt of her own. She found Red before we found her.

so so sorry Mr. Red

Alas all the eggs eventually met their demise and we had a yummy plate of Avocado Lime Deviled Eggs

You can find the recipe here http://farmflavor.com/avocado-lime-deviled-eggs/

Tickle Bumps

We purchased Busch Garden season passes for the family this year. The second Saturday it was open we loaded up the car with excited kids a cooler full of food and a double stroller. We hit a few setbacks on the way and arrived at the park about 2 hours behind schedule, and then waited an extra hour in line to validate our passes. By the time we made it into the park Chris and I were already reaching our theme park limit. But the kids were excited beyond measure, and ready to have some fun. Kaden is my roller coaster boy. He loves them....after they are over. While he is on them he isn't so sure. The first ride I went on with him he was so excited in line then we got in the car and headed up the first hill and he grabbed my hand and said "Can I just close my eye's and think happy thoughts?" When the ride is over however he always says how cool it was and really not scary at all.

Taycee on the other hand is not afraid to admit that it is all terrifying. She is quite content riding the kiddie rides with Addison. Kaden didn't mind the kiddie rides either and even kept his eyes open. 

Brielle was an ANGEL the entire time and just chilled in the stroller the whole day.

After we had been on quite a few rides Taycee decided she wanted to try a roller coaster with Dad and Kaden. We had never been to Busch Gardens so we had no idea what each ride was like. We found the closest coaster that met her height requirement and they got in line. It was a LONG line and they waited for over a half hour. I wandered with the girls and Chris called when they were close so I could get a picture after the big hill. I waited with camera in hand and caught this shot as they came to the base of the big drop....

Let's zoom in on that shall we?....

They HATED it! Apparently it went into a pitch black tunnel where it stopped for a few seconds and then the floor dropped out under them and they fell before shooting out and around a few loops. Probably not the best choice for the first roller coaster ride. Oops. 

We hit a few rides after that and then called it a day. Taycee and Kaden both swore off roller coaster rides for the rest of their life. Kaden has since changes his tune and is begging to go back so he can ride the big purple coaster. Taycee is firm in her oath. 

We did go back another day (Just the older two and I) but we did do any coasters we just hit a few non threatening rides. Kaden made instant best friends with the kid standing behind us in line. His name was Jack and he paled around with Kaden for the next few rides. He was quite an articulate child and I was laughing at all he had to say. Kaden loves everyone and thought he was just the greatest. He introduced him as "his best friend" to someone else in line and Jack said "Um, well, I believe it requires a bit more than this to be best friends" Kaden shrugged it off. Everyone is that child' best friend. 

I'm counting on a fun summer filled with lots of loops, swings and tickle bumps! 

EASTER

He lives, He lives who once was dead. He lives my ever-living Head. 

Oh how grateful I am that He lives. 

Our Easter was a beautiful sunny day, and though it was sprinkled with eggs, chocolate and a hunt it was focused on Him. The One who died so that we might live and The One who lives to help us return.

I am grateful for second chances, new beginnings and everlasting life.

Happy Easter. 

Always Better When We're Together

We love to have visitors. More than anything I love to have family around. So when we had 5 of Chris's family member staying with us there were smiles all around. (After the initial tears upon arrival)

Saturday Morning we went to Maymont so the kids could participate in the Easter egg hunt and so I could take Cassidie's Senior Pictures. The Easter Egg hunt was ridiculous, there were SO. MANY.CHILDREN. they had a 10 egg per child rule that was followed by about half of the people there. I have decided there is something about egg hunts that turns normal rational adults into ferocious scavengers. I couldn't believe the way some parents were scouring the earth for eggs for their children. Taycee ended up with only 5 eggs and the Tiger mom in me wanted to give the parents with 30 eggs in their basket a piece of my  mind. But I thought better of it and we moved on. We did score later however and received free Chick-fil-A sandwiches and even got to meet a very large Easter Bunny. 

We came home and colored our Easter Eggs. 

Easter Sunday

We had/have several big project to be completed outside. Kelly and Claudia were so great to dig in and help us get some things done. Kelly built my garden box and dug out the area where it will be planted. We also tackled this beast.

Our deck was built but never finished, not stained or painted or taken care of at all. It had taken on a greenish hue from the moss and algae. We spent the better part of two days sanding and painting and it still wasn't close to done but I refused to spend the last day of their visit working so I forced them to stop and we spent the evening at Pocahontas Park. 

Oh Taycee.... always ready for a picture.

We ended the night and their visit with ice cream at Dairy Queen. 

Brielle got her first taste of ice cream, and then threw fits because I wouldn't allow more. 

Grandma and Grandpa had to leave in the wee hours of the next morning so they were gone when the kids woke up. It was a sad sad morning full of many tears. It is so hard to have family leave, especially now that the kids understand that we are far away from family and won't get to see them again for awhile. Kaden started having panic attacks every night he went to bed 3 days before they even left. He would ask over and over "you are going to be here in the morning, right?"

It was the quickest 6 days of our Virginia existence. But we were so so grateful to have them come and spend some time with us. Next time I will find a way to squeeze us all back in their suitcases.