Sisters???

Any chance these two are related?

Any chance at all?

Just checking, because I wasn't quite sure.

OK.  I guess that answers it.

How to put on your shoes (according to Briley)

Go find a shoe....any shoe will do.  Any size.  Any color.

Set the shoe in front of you.

Pick up your foot with your hands.  Take foot and insert foot into shoe.  (Note: Don't put the shoe on your foot, but put your foot into the shoe.

Ellery's first tooth

It was quite traumatic.  She won't look in the mirror or at the tooth.  She wouldn't eat dinner and I had to brush her teeth.

But its done!  (The big tooth has been in behind for awhile....can we say braces? :)  

Daddy's little helper

(Photo and commentary by Joe)

We were installing one of those cabinet-mounted garbage cans. This was the frame and roller board.  Flawless execution with the phillips screwdriver!  Daddy is soooo proud. Poor little guy though... Now that Mommy knows he can use tools, I am sure he'll be put to work around the house!

Another one from Grady

Its waaaay past bedtime and we are wrestling to get the kids in bed.  They have been playing with our foam alphabet set (a toy which I brought downstairs to take to donation months ago, but they have played more with this than almost any other toy we have in the house...so it stayed!) and I've asked them to put them away and go upstairs.  

The girls have obliged, but Grady is dawdling.  Then he simply starts to walk towards the stairs.  I said "wait a minute buddy, what did I just ask you to do?"  

He slowly walks back with his head hung and starts to put the letters away.  

I asked where he was going.

He answered, "poop" and then starts to squirm.

"What" I asked?

"Mommy, I have to go poop," he answered.

"Well then go" I replied!  (Can't argue with that now can I???)

Thoughts from E

The kids are happily (or so I thought) playing upstairs while B naps.  I walk out in the living room and hear E yelling at Molly:

NOBODY CALLS ME A LIAR EXCEPT FOR MOM!

Hmmm....think we've had a bit of a fibbing problem at our house lately???

Dinosaur poop

Grady's all to familiar call from the bathroom....."All done pooping Mama," was followed with this today "and it looks like a dinosaur poop."

Really?  And what, exactly, does that look like I wonder?  Want to know?  I'll spare you the details.

Briley is in her own room

I just took down the crib in our room *sniff* and she has now spent 2 nights in a row *sniff* in her own room upstairs *sniff, sniff.*  Why am I having such a hard time with this?  Because it's our last???  I have been purging the baby stuff.  All the big battery operated and plastic toys.  Swing.  Bassinet.  Johnny Jump-up.  I even have our double stroller and double jogger listed!  I just need to clean the exer-saucer and that goes.  When Briley and Grady have grown out of their clothes, I consign, give and donate them.  The first load was the worst, but now its very freeing.  I'm seeing space emerge in my house, garage and attic.  Maternity clothes are long gone.  I'm even starting to get rid of the things that Briley has yet to play with.  Amazing how the more kids I have, the less stuff I'm wanting to keep.....well, the brightly colored plastic stuff that is! :)

Another Ellery-ism

Molly is studying for her "Patriot Test" in school and we're talking about the Declaration of Independence. Among other questions, the study questions ask about some of the men who were involved in writing it, one of which was an ancestor of mine.  Well, I then had to explain what an ancestor is.

Later, on the way to school, Ellery asks, "who else is our Aunt's Sister?"

Thoughts from E

Poppy walked Ellery to the bathroom (why does he always get potty duty???).  When she came out, they headed back to the pool.  Ellery says, "that's weird.  We wash and dry our hands....then we get right back in the water."

Auto flush toilets

Still on vaca in Mexico.....

Poppy took Grady "potty" and Grady finished first.  He was telling Poppy how he beat him and then asked how to flush the toilet.  Poppy said, "hang on a minute and I'll show you" but as Grady walked away the toilet flushed.  He was so excited and says, 'WOW....I just walked away and it flushed all by itself!" (Picture a wondrous hand gesture.) "We don't have those at home!"

Thoughts from E

We are vacationing in Cabo with my parents.  The girls are playing "Mermaid" in the water with Poppy (grandpa) supervising (in his bathing suit).  Ellery says to him, "you can be the daddy mermaid.  You are just perfect because daddy mermaids don't have to wear shirts."

My nephew...Mac

Look at those eye!  Luv.  Him!

Its weird seeing my little sister with a baby.  I keep thinking she's nannying and will return this kid to his rightful parents soon.  But he looks too much like his mom and dad to be someone else's child. :)

She's had a rough go at it, with a colicky kiddo, but he's rounded the 4 mo mark and is growing out of it.  If only he'd sleep for her now!  But she's been a trooper and is still willing to have one more.

But he sure is cute, so Paige....if you're missing him one day. 

It was me.  I have him.  (He fits right in at our house with that blond hair and those big blue eyes.  No one would even notice.  The best part...I didn't have to gain all that pregnancy weight....or I could still say...."oh, I just had a baby...it'll come off and have an excuse for not losing the weight from B...and the weight from G....and E and M for that matter!  But I digress...

Happy Mommy-ing Paige!  You're doing a great job!  Thanks for sharing him with me.  

Now I can wait a few more month before I have to go out and have another one.

I am kidding people.  We are done.

Macallan

He is 4 months and all I've seen are pictures.  I am so sad about that.  I haven't been able to kiss him, to hold him, to babysit so my sis can get a break.  ( I do field phone calls and emails and respond with all of my wonderful advice! :)

Here he is!

Mwah! 

 Sweet boy,  that'll have to do until I finally get to love on you next week!  Can't wait!!!

And now Hot

Its 80 degrees outside.  In one week, we've gone from -25 to 80.  I wonder what next week is going to be like...

Can you say C.O.L.D???

Instead of getting up at the crack of dawn (who am I kidding...I was up before 6:30 with Briley) to go workout today, I thought I'd skip the early morning (kidding again...I've been skipping for 3 weeks since Joe's been out of town!) and shovel the driveway.  For all of you not aware of what's going on down here, our weather is Cra-Zee!  Blizzards, feet of snow, cold, cold, cold.  Anyway...right before I put Briley down for her nap, I checked the temps.  -25 degrees.  25 degrees BELOW ZERO.  Negative.  Huh???  Its warmer in Alaska!  I checked again.  Seriously?  That's not with wind chill.  That's the actual temperature outside!!!

I think I'll wait until her afternoon nap.

My sweet boy...

Throwing a bit of a tantrum

And then laughing when I played it for him.

Briley walking

Here she goes....

New weatherstripping???

I'm just sayin'

Cuz that's snow.
(The door was closed and locked all night.)

January pics

While the cats away.....

At least he chose blue.... 

Thoughts from E

We are watching "The Chronicles of Narnia" and there is a scene where the fireplace is on.  E and G are commenting on the fire and Ellery says...

"And it stays on.  All the time.  You see Grady, some people don't have switches for their fireplaces to turn them on and off."

Applejuice

We are sitting at dinner and Grady asks Goggy (grandpa) if he can have a drink of his applejuice....

Um...maybe in about 18 years?