Younger Brother Was Here

On the heels of a missing cell phone (discovered behind Younger Brother's bookshelf)...
And a missing nightlight (discovered in the extra bedroom, disassembled)...
I stumbled upon some slightly more endearing evidence that Younger Brother passed this way.

I don't ask.

I'm positive it made sense to him somehow.

And as much as it drives me crazy sometimes to have my things perpetually relocated, and often broken, I know I will be sad when the day comes that he is grown and everything stays exactly where I put it.

"R" is for Red

"R" is also for Reminder...

...as in...

Reminder why not to return emails during the daytime hours!

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p.s. Helpful mom tip of the day courtesy of a friend of mine...

Bug spray takes off permanent marker like magic!

This one was washable thank goodness, but Younger Brother decorated our kitchen cabinets with a black sharpie once when he was little.

A little bit of "Off Skintastic" and they were good as new!

Girls Night Out + Grandpa

Every once in a while we try to find something extra special that just one or two of the kids can go do all by themselves...as in, without all brothers and sisters in tow. Last time, it was the boys who got to go to the Star Wars live orchestra event. This time, it was Big Sis and Little Sis and Disney on Ice!

They were mesmerized.

Little Sis just stood there frozen the way she does, and every so often she'd put her little hands together and do a timid little clap without ever breaking her stare.

Grandpa G always delivers in the department of fun.

He strolled off at intermission and returned with a big bag of cotton candy and what seemed to be the bottomless snow cone!

The girls polished off the entire bag of cotton candy before the start of the second act!

I have to say, Grandpa was a very good sport considering that both girls were sitting with him, and there is really no graceful way to feed 1 and 3 year old children cotton candy and snow cones!....

......and considering that he had to return to work at his very public job with sticky goodness all down the front of his sweater!

Despite the sugar high, the girls did actually sit through the entire show. They loved it! Big Sis has been sliding around the kitchen in her socks today telling me that she's ice skating.

Afterwards, we dropped Grandpa off at work and stopped in to surprise Daddy.

The girls ran around his place of employment like crazy people, and promptly crashed out cold the minute we got back in the truck.

*

Thanks Daddy and Grandpa for arranging a super fun Girls Night Out!

Brotherly Love

Every morning Younger Brother comes running into my room with a great deal of enthusiasm to greet Princess A...who is typically in bed with me for her morning feeding.

He dotes on her and says, "Good Morning" to her...

and tells her what a good girl she is (especially if she burps)...

and how much he loves her...

and gives her hugs and kisses...

and of course, teaches her how to deliver a proper punch in the face.
As tough as he is, he is an awfully good big brother.
And he sure does love his little sisters!
Good morning Princess A!

Snacktime Smackdown

Time for a little refresher course on the rules of the house!

It's not really as complicated as it looks...everyone's chores and behavior charts are squeezed on there as well. We have found that every so often it's necessary to spell out the behavioral expectations/rewards/consequences in order to reel them back in from the brink of neanderthal-ism.
Younger Brother helped with the presentation.

Precious Wrinkles

Bassgitbawl

Biggest Brother had his last basketball game this weekend.

It seems to be something he really enjoys, and I suspect he will play again next season. He definitely has the height for it that's for sure!

Incidentally, it was also trophy presentation day...

Should it concern me that school we pay an arm and a leg to send him to is the only place that consistently misspells his name??

Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind.

Either that, or he didn't notice. Hmmm...now that might be a problem!

:)

Poor Lil' Leggers

Sweet baby girl had her 8 week check-up today!

***

Weight: 12lbs 8oz - 80%

Length: 24 inches - 90%

Head Circumference: 16 inches - 90%

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She got 3 shots. :(

I think those things are probably harder for mommies than babies, but she wasn't exactly happy about it either.

*

No tears baby girl, no tears!
You were so brave!
***
Disclaimer: The above pics were taken at home, not at the time of her appointment. Mommy would never put picture taking before cuddles!

Beads!

Admittedly, nap time is as much for mommies as it is for kids! But Big Sis is really no trouble at all. So I decided that on the days the boys go to school, she is allowed to forego her nap and do something that she enjoys instead. She loves arts and crafts! So today it was making jewelry with the beads we got from Grandma K!

She is very good with her hands.

I'm not too sure what the heart stickers are all about. But they have been a part of her unique fashion for the last two days now.

She was explaining the beading process to me...very seriously.

Look at that look of concentration!

Her first completed work: A bracelet!

And she gave it to me!

Thanks Big Sis!

And this is why she gets to stay up at nap time...

no trouble at all!

You're such a good girl Big Sis!

Tummy Time - Take One

I can't say that any of my children have really enjoyed tummy time. In fact, they have all despised it. But alas, Princess A is becoming of age where she needs to learn how to hold up her own dome. :)

I call this the, "And you're expecting me to do what?" face.

(straining and grunting)

This is not fun, AT ALL!

I call this the, "It's not as upsetting if I refuse to participate" face.

Okay, so perhaps this skill is going to need some more practice.

Good effort Princess A. Good effort.

Improvisational Play-Doh

Apparently Little Sis finds our house noisy as well.

Either that, or she just figured that a hole in the size of ones head just begs to be filled with something.

I mean, it makes sense really.
:)