June, via iPod pictures

Most of the time, if I share pictures taken with my iPod, it’s on Facebook.  I often don’t get around to putting them on the blog.  But there are some cute ones! Instead of doing a bunch of little posts (or rather not doing, since I’m having trouble finding the time lately), I’m doing one huge one. 

You have been warned.

We often sit in the front row on one side of the balcony at church.  There’s a little extra room there, and the kiddos can easily look down into the chancel area.  We aren’t the only young family that does this.  The Harlan girls were up there too on this particular Sunday.

The babies enjoy Cheerios from time to time.  Thomas will grab handfuls to shove in.

Michael tends to eat them more one at at time.  :)

James put on his Thomas overalls over his pajamas.

The girls got to take a little ballet class at the YMCA.  They enjoyed it, but I don’t think they realized how much hard work dancing is.  :)

Apparently when you leave your iPod, your daughter, a pair of sunglasses, and a baby in a room, you will get something like this:

He appears to have been quite the champ about it.

Just regular ol’ life:

The big three took swim lessons for a couple of weeks in June (thankfully before the broken arm).  They enjoyed them very much, but I need to get private lessons for Joanna.  She’s ready and fearless – she just needs some instruction!

Gran was SO OVERJOYED to get to give the babies their very first French fries.

It’s a rite of passage at our house.  :)

Thomas says “yum!”

(For the record, I don’t think these fry pics are from the iPod. I must have mixed some big girl camera pics in here.)

Michael like ‘em too, even though his face doesn’t look like it.  He just isn’t quite as in to food yet.

As of right now, we have four weeks left of our school curriculum for the year.  I went ahead and ordered our 2nd grade/Kindergarten stuff for the fall.  It is SO FUN to open up those boxes and start getting everything organized!!

We were basically “caught up” with school at Christmas time, despite having two new babies, but we began really slowing down in the late winter and early spring.  I was a little worried at first, but it was the best for us.  There were some GORGEOUS days and weeks, and the kids spent a lot of time outside.  Outside free-play is so important, and it is just too hot here in the summer.  I’m very glad we took the time off when we did and are finishing up now.  My plan is to finish up over the next four weeks, take one week (or half or so) off to get things organized if I haven’t by then, and then dive right in to the fall curriculum.  Then we’ll take a week or two off in October to celebrate THREE little brother birthdays and enjoy the weather that should hopefully be almost pleasant by then.  Things don’t always go as planned, but it’s still a good idea to have one, I think. :)

Natalie is very ready for Kindergarten.  She made this and gave it to me one day.

Michael is my good napper.  I often have to wake him up because his stinker brother is up and ready to eat.

Same baby, different nap.  :)

And again!  There were a couple of days he wasn’t feel quite himself.  One morning he nursed, finished, and then totally crashed out on me for a little nap.  It’s not uncommon for him to take a little snooze if he’s tired while nursing (I am the human pacifier), but this was different.  Thankfully Matt was still home to take Thomas for a bit, and I was able to hold this little sleeper.  THE BEST!

So we’re not watching the world cup AT ALL, but doesn’t this kid look ready to join the team?

Last day of swim lessons – they were doing safety demonstrations.

Two of the ballet classes happened right after swim lessons.  The girls were troopers, but swimming for 30 minutes then dancing for 45 is rough!

Joanna can often be found reading to a younger sibling or two.

One day last week my mom came and got my big three and took them to lunch at Cracker Barrel.

They had a great time!

Then they stopped back by her house and “rode” on Grandpa David’s boat.

Last Friday some good friends who have moved away were back in town for a visit.  A bunch of us met up at Tin Roof BBQ to eat and visit and let our kids play.  It’s still too hard for us to eat out, but I’m so glad we went.  We had to leave earlier than we might have liked, but our babies were sure grouchy!

I put Michael in the Boba carrier just to get him out to the car, and he crashed out before we left the restaurant!

He even stayed asleep through being buckled up.  You can see his WIDE AWAKE brother in the background. :)

I love eating yogurt with granola in it, so I decided to make my own last week.  Yum!

I braided Natalie’s hair during church on Sunday.

So, on the whole, I hate summer.  It’s too hot, and all my regular stuff is cancelled.  That said, I do love the abundance of fresh fruit.  So what I’m saying is that I’m glad there are seasons.  But I could totally be one of those people with a summer home waaaaaaay north of here. 

Fruit is very fun on kabobs.

These days we send Joanna to bed at the same time as her sibs, but in our room.  And she’s allowed to read for a little while.  Sometimes she comes out after a bit and wants to go in her bed.  If I’m sure the littles are asleep, I will let her, but if they’re not, she will keep them up… for forever.  Anyway, one day she came out needing something to snuggle, but I wouldn’t let her go in her room.  I told her to just grab something and go back to bed.  Later, when we went to move her sleeping self into her bed, we found she had made two pillow people with bed pillows and Matt’s pajamas.  She’s hilarious.

My poor Thomas felt pretty punk this week.  I think he had a little virus.  We did some snuggling.

Another Joanna reading to siblings pic.  (Have I mentioned that I LOVE that she can read?!!)

We most assuredly employ child labor around here.

But we give them breaks. :)

Last fall I ordered a subscription to this Thomas and Friends magazine and gave it to James as a Christmas present (or maybe birthday; I can’t remember).  It has been the best gift! He gets a new magazine every other month, and he just loves “reading” them.  He carries one or two around with him a lot.  The girls enjoy them too, so we definitely got our money’s worth from that gift.

First Food Experience!!

Matt brought the high chair and booster seat down from the attic today, and the boys tried them out… along with a little taste of avocado!

I just mashed it very smoothly and plopped some on the tray.  I had to show them where it was.

Ohhhhhh!!!  Fingerpainting!  (This is Thomas, by the way.)

I figured he would put his hands right in his mouth, but he didn’t.  So I put a little avocado on my finger, and he of course immediately put it in his mouth.  :)

I think he liked it.

I don’t think he put any in his mouth with his own hands.  But there were two babies to watch so I can’t be sure.  :)

Then it was Michael’s turn!

Same deal, I plopped it down and pointed it out to him.

He also enjoyed the avocado finger painting!

Again, I put some on my finger so he’d understand what it was all about.

He very much enjoyed smearing it around and wearing a little on his lip.

Messy (and tired) baby!

It’s official – they’ve entered the world of other food.  I guess it had to happen eventually.  :)  The big kids were SO entertained by watching their little brothers “eat.”

And can you believe I’m publishing this on the day it actually happened?!  Enjoy!

January iPod Dump

Since I got my new iPod with the better camera (Hallelujah!!), I’ve stopped carrying around my small point and shoot (which frankly I hated anyway).  I take quite a few pics with the iPod and mostly share them on Facebook.  Occasionally I share them here too, so pardon if some of these shots are repeats.  I can’t possibly keep it all straight.  :)

The kids can often be found in some variation of this position – they love for Joanna to read out loud to them.

Natalie drew this picture of a house with Santa Claus and his sleigh.  All the “writing” on the house is a Christmas Carol, but I can’t remember which one.

Joanna lined up all these math manipulatives and wanted to take a picture of them.

I believe I took this one to text to Matt.  (It’s Michael.)

James figuring out the etch-a-sketch at Grandma’s house.

Those extremely handsome boys! Thomas, on the left, looks tinier than Michael due to the perspective of the picture, but I assure you he is not.  :)

Sitting on the front porch with Thomas, wishing I had a rocker or a porch swing out there.

I can’t remember if this was a double or triple batch of our favorite pancakes.  Yummo.

We must have gone outside to color/write one day.

The girls have a couple of swaddle blankets that don’t fit the boys that they love to wrap their dolls and animals in.  :)

This is James’ current favorite thing to dress up in.  Sadly, he cannot quite put it on by himself.  What I love about this picture is that James is in focus and the girls are blurry, flitting around behind him.

Thomas asleep one evening (morning?)  I think if the swaddles were reversed and he could be freeing his right hand instead of his left that he would have figured out how to suck his thumb by now… maybe they both would.

James LOVES this sparkly bag for carrying around an assortment of trains and whatnot.

I pulled these three socks out of the dryer one day and no others.  Where did the other three go?

I toss all lonely socks into the drawer of their owner and every now and then go through and match them up.  Usually they’re just in a different load than their matches.  (Or wedged between the wall and the bed.  Or under the couch.  Or in another drawer.  Or in the dress up bin.  Or…)

Michael, all swaddled in the swing.  For a long while I was putting them down for naps in their swings, not even trying to get them to sleep in the crib.  They sleep there great at night, but weren’t settling there for naps.  Just this week though I’ve started putting them in the crib during the day and it seems to be working out alright.

I love how Thomas kind of smiles with his whole body.  :)

I pulled these out of a closet one day for the kids to play with.  They were mine way back when.  One of them was named Jeremiah.  (As in, “Jeremiah was a bull frog.”)  Then the others got Biblical names as well, but I don’t really remember what they were.  The lizard may have been Solomon.

Joanna is my helper when I bring the boys to Musikgarten class.  I LOVE that we’re able to go to a baby class!!!  This past class I was dancing with Thomas, and he giggled at me!!!  He kept doing it over and over again – my grin was so huge!

I’m pretty sure I took this picture because Joanna took it upon herself to fix a little salad when she was hungry. 

I used to just despise onions, but now I really love them cooked in a lot of things.

I’m not sure there’s a better smell that onions being cooked in bacon grease.  Yum!!

Natalie was snuggled up by Thomas.

At enchilada night – Michael:

And Thomas with Aunt Gail.  It’s the best to have lots of extra arms around to hold the babes!

James’ favorite character on Star Trek: The Next Generation is Counselor Deanna Troy.  I’m pretty sure he thinks she beautiful.  Anyway, he also likes to pretend to be her when the girls are pretending to be someone.  Joanna drew this for him.  It says “Deanna Troy” at the top and “To James” at the bottom.

Michael.

Last weekend James threw Natalie’s shoe over the back fence.  How he managed it I’m not sure, but it’s her only pair of tennis shoes right now so I was in a hurry to get it back before the big dogs that live there ate it.  Fortunately they weren’t out at the time.  Thomas was awake (and Matt was home), so I decided to walk around the block with the single stroller and put a note on the door asking them to toss the shoe back over.  Except I couldn’t figure out which house it was because I am challenged in that way.  And my husband, who is not challenged in that way, would not answer his phone.  So I walked all the way back home, and climbed up on the fence, taking a look to see if I could hop over.  I could have, but there would not have been a way to get back, save walking out through their gate and around the block.  I do not know these people at all, so I didn’t want to do that.  The shoe was closeish to the fence though, and I was able to fashion a pole to grab it with!  I used two sturdy sticks and some duct tape.  Joanna took this picture of me.

We’re at my mom’s house.  This is Thomas.  That is all I know.

I love these shirts with the ties on them – cute!

From the “big” ice storm last week:

Joanna grabbed a little jar to collect some and put it in the freezer.  She wanted to show her daddy when he got home.

In the front – no ice because no deck.

It was a perfect day for some hot chocolate!

I just recently “made” (Jiffy, people) cornbread in my cast iron skillet.  I vow to never make it any other dish again.  So much better than glass.

Mom stopped by one day to bring something I’m sure, and of course the big kids did not want her to leave!

I took no less than SIX pictures of bagelwiches last month.  Here are a few.  :)

I had been soooooo enjoying eating one almost every day for awhile.  But now I don’t feel like making them anymore.  That’s so how it goes.  :)

Candice passed down some Thomas PJs for James, and for some reason everyone needed to try them on.  They fit Natalie the best, but the waist is snug enough for James to wear them even though they’re big.  And wear them he does, every time they’re clean!

I’m pretty sure this was a very very long post, but that just has to happen sometimes.  :)