From the Mouth of My Babe

One day Isaac decided he wanted to build a tower with Maddie in it. She stood very still while he constructed blocks around her. 

Until he almost covered her face completely. 

Davis said this to me last night as I was putting him to bed:

"Mom, sorry but when I'm a dad you won't be able to read books to me anymore. But don't worry, you can still kiss me."

Nathan Michael @ 8 Months Old

All tuckered out.

Nater's first experience dining out. The kids got to all go out to eat (a real treat) after displaying good table manners at dinner for a couple of weeks in a row. It's something we are constantly working on since I sometimes feel like I'm in a barn instead of a dining room at dinner time.

At 8 months old, Nathan:

• drools constantly.
• still spits up but not as much as he used to.
• smiles easily.
• has 5 teeth with 3 or 4 more pushing their way through.
• loves putting anything and everything in his mouth.
• rolls everywhere.
• rocks back and forth on  his hands and knees and sometimes can be found in the plank or downward dog position. 
• sleeps like a champ.
• loves loves loves cords and will roll across the room to get to one. We really have to watch him closely or he'll stick those in his mouth as well.
• loves to snuggle up to anyone who's holding him.
• has a special bond with Maddie--she's usually gentle with him so I think he trusts her the most. 
• eats anything and everything.
• loves to babble and babble. 
• can let out an ear piercing scream if he realizes you've left him alone when he wants attention.
• is super ticklish. Tickling him is the only surefire way to get him to laugh. He will smile at anyone and anything but reserves his laughs for the select few.
• often gets comments on his bright blue eyes and pleasant disposition. 

How can I not love that green bean-stained blurry face?

Madelyn @ 5 1/2 Years Old

Showing off her perfectly round snowball thanks to these awesome Christmas Gifts. 

Here are a few things I want to remember about Maddie at 5 1/2:

• I love to listen to her educate Davis about everything in life. "Davis, you can't be a dad until you get married. In order to get married, you have to kiss a girl...but just once...unless you want to, then you can kiss her all the time." Davis reassured her that kissing wasn't a problem for him since he really likes it.
• She is really kind to her brothers...almost too kind sometimes because they have been known to take advantage of her good nature.
• She loves kindergarten. Her teacher is perfect to her in every way, and she could never choose one best friend in her class because she loves them all.
• She loves playing with My Little Ponies and Lego Friends. I am still amazed at how quietly and independently she can play for long periods of time. A stark contrast to the loud light saber battles that her brothers participate in daily. That said, she can battle with the best of them when she's feels like it.
• Upon getting home from school she loves to string her backpack, shoes, scarf, gloves, hat, and whatever else she packs with her all over the house. It usually takes me the rest of the afternoon to get her to clean up after herself--it's borderline impossible to do.
• I love seeing her nurturing side when she takes care of Nathan. She loves watching out for him and pretending that he is her baby. She gets after me any time I put him down and don't surround him with pillows---"Mom! Don't forget the pillows! What if baby Nathan falls?!"
• She has a really giving heart. Just today, she came home with all of her Valentine treats from school (winter break interferes with V-Day celebrations so the kids all had their parties today) and divided them among her brothers and myself. When I asked her why she did it she said, "I love sharing with others and making them happy! Even though you are my mom, we are all brothers and sisters and I want to share with you too!!" 
• Maddie remains true to the philosophy, "It is better to ask forgiveness than permission." The teenage years should be exciting if her loyalty to that one stays true. 
• Getting her out the door to the bus stop on time each morning feels nothing short of victorious as it takes constant supervision and coaxing (nagging). That said, we haven't missed the bus yet (due in part to a patient and kind bus driver). 
• I love the tenderness that she brings to our family. My sweet only daughter is so special to us and we all love her so much! Her laughter is so contagious and I can't imagine what our home would be like without that sound.

From the Mouth of My Babe

Snow Day!!

I explained to Davis that he must be getting older since he told me at lunch that he decided he likes red peppers (and big kids love their vegetables).
"I am getting older! I'm almost four and four-year-olds are grown ups, right mom?"