Just Random Updates on the Kids

We went to the dentist the other day... all three kids verse me. The dentists and I normally lose this one, but guess what??! The two older kids went back all by themselves! I had to sneak a picture while waiting for Paisley's turn. So exciting and sad all at the same time! I even had time in the waiting room to play plants vrs. zombies [free time may still exist in my future] and we only got into trouble once from a neighboring office during the wait. = SUCCESS!!

These kids and myself LOVE puzzles!  

Such PRIDE in conquering a tough puzzle!!

Oh and we have the best Pediatrician! All three of my kids were under the table when he came in. So he sat with them on the floor and started the appointment there. Yay! For people who understand kids!

Paisley Loves Music!

Not only can she play the harmonica, but she loves to dance to every jingle, song, or hymn. Seriously, even strapped down in her car seat she is always head banging or bobbling.

                                                                  Love those tippy toes!

"Your Birth Control"- Just another day in our lives!

On Saturday my wonderful husband knowing I was in a "bad mood" told me I had an hour in which he would do whatever I wanted before heading into work. He also told me I could buy an outfit today; lol-I told him he could not buy my happiness! I was wrong I now think I will go ahead and buy a STORE.     I put him to work and he was just about done cleaning up the basement insulation from last week mishap, what Demitri calls, "Carving pumpkins and making sleeping bags!"  So it goes without saying Shane wasn't in the best mood at this particular point either!

That is when...

1.) a sharp crash came from Daphney's room. (Over Christmas we went to a white elephant gift exchange where kids are pretty much an anomaly. There they were kind/inexperienced enough to allow the kids to participate and kind/experienced enough to set the rule that you couldn't steal from the kids. However, my daughter of coarse chose the biggest Christmas bag I have ever seen and won two lamps, a couple bags, and a can of Lysol. A kind man tried to relieve her of that present, partly because he wanted it and partly I think to allow her to pick again, but Daph was embarrassingly in tears and holding firmly to the fact that she indeed was a kid and was not supposed to be stolen from.)

It was this beloved lamp that had broken by the wrath of Demitri. The glass lamp shade was now shattered across a dirty bedroom. We began cleaning that up, and in order to keep the kids busy and out of the glass I gave them the job to work together to carry a box from the bottom of the stairs up to the top. As we cleaned up the glass I told Shane about reading the Little Mermaid 2 with Daphney and how she thought Ariel was going to need to have a new baby because her daughter was not being obedient! lol I am glad she understands that concept! 

That is when...

2.) Daphney and Demitri busted into the bedroom because Demitri had a bloody nose. Sure enough he had a bloody nose all over the walls and through the hallway and down the stairs. Apparently Daph decided she didn't want help carrying the box and pushed him. So I helped calm Demitri down in the bathroom and clean him up while Shane cleaned the floor. I had Daph and Paisley stay in Daphney's room so they didn't get into the blood. 

That is when...

3.) a sharp crash came from Daphney's room (AGAIN!). I had set that blasted beloved lamp up high, and since it was broken the cord was hanging down rather than nicely tucked away and plugged in. Paisley grabbed it and pulled the lamp which crashed to the floor and now a shattered light bulb littered the previously vacuumed floor. 

I NEED A BOX! A BIG BOX WHERE NO DAMAGE CAN BE INFLICTED.

I will slide in food, and release my kids when they are ready to reenter society! 

PS. I love this life. Sure it would be nice to have fancy things that don't need a warranty, and silence at least while you are sleeping, but to have a partner and a team that sticks through and laughs together during these rough days is something to fight for! I am so LUCKY!!!

Our Little Musicians!

Harmonica Playing is in her BLOOD!!
All Day Baby!!

I heard someone playing the harmonica and was so impressed that I yelled into the other room, "Who is that Daphney or Demitri?" To which I did not hear an answer... that was the beginning of an all day jam session for this little jelly bean! I have now found a way to keep Paisley busy!

She didn't like sharing mom's lap!

Extra Long Warm Weather!

While Shane and Paisley were out of town the big kids and I loved outings without a stroller or a diaper bag!

This tiger wanted a lick of the caramel apple succors and they weren't about to share! 

Normally the kids love to take a group picture in this turtle shell but with Paisley gone I was able to Sardine my way into that shell!

The neighbors have the coolest toys!

Things are getting real here with these competitive domino games.

Lots of biking with this new bike trailer. Getting Stronger!! 

The louder they cry and fight the faster I pedal! lol 

She can do it herself, but looks scared when one of her siblings decide to help.

Holding on for dear life.

She gets so excited when she gets to ride things. 

Both kids wanted to share their bikes and teach their baby sister how to ride. 

This is how we do things at my house! Life is crazy!!!

Woes of the Third Child

First Child: Parent's hover over the first child making sure he/she doesn't eat off the floor or heaven forbid reinsert a pacifier that has fallen onto the ground.

Second Child: Parents start to lose control... Five second rule starts to save the day!

Third Child: You are just happy they found the good stuff!
So Sorry Paisley...

Halloween 2016

 This year we were "Little Red Riding Hood Characters". 

Shane:Woodsman
Katie: Grandma
Daphney: Little Red
Demitri: Big Bad Wolf
Paisley: The Basket of Goodies (Although I never really sold her on the basket so more of just a cupcake.)

Family Celebration:

For our family Halloween celebration we went to a park and had the kids go on a treasure hunt following clues to find a basket of goodies (cupcakes). Daphney was sure that Pirates had made the cupcakes and left for us! Daphney and I made her basket out of newspaper and then painted it. Harder than it looks online but a fun memory. 

See not her favorite place to sit in the basket!

Clearly a daddy's girl! Look at that smile while with him!

            Love this picture of Demitri and Shane- One SCARED wolf!!!

Trick or Treating Experience:

All three kids had a blast at Halloween. Daphney sprinted from door to door and Demitri took in every little detail of every decoration so it was hard to keep the two speeds near each other. 

BIG BAD WOLF:

Demitri kept calling people names when we would leave and luckily most people could not understand him when he would shout, "YOU CATERPILLAR!" -or they didn't know to be insulted. I had to explain to him not to do that because that is not their name and that is being mean. So instead at every house he had to ask them, "What is your name?" - and then in turn of course introduce himself. He could be our next president (of our neighborhood at least) because everybody now knows him. 

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD:

In Iowa they have a ridiculous study that says like for the last 80 years 911 calls have been down 50 percent because some politician started the tradition of kids telling jokes at Halloween for their candy. That somehow discourages the vandalism and chaos, because they have already gotten their orneriness out telling that funny joke. Anyways clearly I think it is silly and did not fight Daphney when she said she was "not telling jokes!" At each house they would ask for a joke and she would stubbornly reply, "I don't really tell jokes at houses." Finally a lady said, "fine I will tell you a joke then... What is the world's largest pencil? Pennsylvania.." After leaving that house Daphney said, "Hey mom, I have a joke for you! Why did Heavenly Father give us stores?" "I don't know Daph, Why?" Aghast she responded, "Well I DON'T KNOW!!" I don't think she quite has the joke thing down yet. 

OUR LITTLE CUPCAKE:

Paisley loved trick or treating! I felt kind of sheepish letting her trick or treat but I wanted her to experience it. She would walk right up to the basket and take handfuls of candy and people never complained because she is so baby cute! She would even fuss if she thought she wasn't going to get a turn. This picture is from a library's Halloween dance party. (The egg is a shaker not an Easter prop!)

Fun October Halloween Celebrations:

          Halloween seriously was just a month of parties and candies. Every library and business used it to attract people. A little ridiculous and maybe next year we will try to use restraint and not try to go to them all.  But I had to share this picture.... I mean really have you seen a happier boy riding a pony! I told the kids that we were going to get to do a pony ride and they looked unimpressed at least confused why I was so excited. Then Daphney asked, "Are they real ponies?" Me:"Yeah they are REAL!" That is when she nearly swallowed her tongue; - "THEY CAN TALK!!!" Me: "Aw, no. I guess you are right not that impressive..."  

            Another party we were pushing the closing time in line for the tallest, largest obstacle course bounce house slide. I even had to lift him up to get through the entrance. It was no surprise that Daph came down the giant slide head first and on her belly.Well of course they decide it is time to close while Demitri is still in the bounce house. He is taking forever and they keep turning off the lights. So he is doing all this big kid climbing in the dark. I was so proud that he finally made it out. I thought it might have eaten him!

Oh and lastly Shane would have never let Demitri go out in a dress (I didn't even have to ask), but while he was at work we had a fun time dressing him up as a wolf in Grandma's clothing! 

Paisley is ONE!!

 Birthday dinner fit for a one year old! (macaroni and cheese)

  No birthday is complete without a cake!

Yeah sorry Paisley, maybe next year you can open your own presents!

Paisley Play

Snugly Baby: Paisley now willingly gives hugs and kisses, and if I pat her back while holding her she pats mine.  

Pirate Day- Knocks my Boots Off!

Talk like a Pirate Day is quickly becoming one of our favorite... Quick there is still time to release your inner "R"! 

     

     I went out in public dressed like a six foot pirate woman (everybody stared- some people even took pictures without asking....)! I would have just looked like a cool mom with all her little pirate crew, but alas they all kept losing their clothes (it was quite hot!) and there I was a lone shipwrecked pirate. 

The mismatched shoes is definitely a pirate thing right? Well no... we just couldn't find the match and we had to wear the awesome skull boots! Also check out the eye  patch. We just used sunglasses that had a lens knocked out, because I knew he wouldn't keep an eyepatch on. This worked wonderfully and I came up with it myself! (Who needs Pinterest?! I am Pinterest!!)

Aren't these girls just the cutest pirates.  Paisley had little skulls on her shorts and carried our treasure map!

 So how to get your very own doughnuts?!!!

Krispie Cream gives you a doughnut for talking like a pirate and better yet if you dress up you get a free dozen glazed doughnuts! Which is great!!! -Except there were four of us and now we have four dozen doughnuts!!

I think it is important to have times in life when there are no limitations. Like Pirate day and Halloween. To be able to indulge in all you can eat hot and fresh doughnuts, because it is "living" and makes eating healthy bearable. ;)

Next we tried our hand at geocaching.. EPIC FAIL!! We finally gave up when I realized the m at the end of 13,826 probably meant miles. Kids were good sports though and we did find a bug on an old hot dog stuffed inside this hole in the tree. TREASURE indeed!

Next time I will just need to hide my own geocache....

We instead played at the slide park, and went to watch dad play ultimate frisbee where we read books in the shade and Daph traded her pirate costume for shades and declared herself a princess. Shane's smiling friends thought he was married to a ship wrecked Pirate for sure.