One post a months is not enough! We've missed so much! This month Anna turned 2! She had a pink cake, with pink ice cream and mostly pink presents! Daddy made her day with a Hello Kitty balloon that is still hugging the ceiling in the breakfast room.
She is acting like a two year old: independent, tender, and curious. We are loving it. She is making herself much more of a playmate to the boys and they are loving it.
Easter morning came with a no-spill bubble bucket and an egg hung around the house. We had to tell the boys that the Easter Bunny brought pink eggs for Anna and have them put them out around the house again for her. They had already grabbed all of them before she made it down the stairs! Maybe she'll have some in her room next year!
Those bathrobes crack me up.
We took some pictures at JC Penny's in their Easter clothes and totally forgot to take any pictures on Easter Sunday! They were adorable, if I do say so myself. We had a nice slow day at home that afternoon with an easy dinner but a fun conversation around the table about the U.S. President's over the past 40 years. Since then I've heard the following during playtime: "I can't believe President Nixon lied!" "My guy will be Jimmy Carter." I think this is the only house in America where action figures are being named Jimmy Carter and acting out who knows what adventures. I don't think they remember what we said about President Carter, but his name has evidently stuck in their heads.
There's our Easter girl.
And helpful at home too! She was sweeping up green Easter basket grass without being asked.
This is Michael in his new Nordstrom blazer, from D.I. It was $4. Thank you whoever donated that! He loves it and paired with khakis and his blue checked shirt he says, "I look like a man!"
In March we had a trip to St. Louis! The boys couldn't remember being there and I wanted them to be able to visualized everything when I tell them stories about when I was a little girl named Nina, a favorite bedtime request. Josh did an amazing job sitting in between Sam and Michael on the plane while we passed Anna back and forth across the aisle. Had to get the trip in before she turned two and had to have her own ticket.
By the end of the day she had had enough and plunked down on the St. Louis airport floor to explore the contents of her purse.
We did all of the usual St. Louis things. Steak and Shake.
Science Center.
Lion's Choice. This is Michael drinking IBC Rootbeer and saying, "This is the best root beer I ever tasted in my whole life!" We did these things with Lisa, Kacey, and Brady but somehow I didn't take any pictures of them! I kept thinking we would see them another day but it didn't work out with naps and kids. We drove though University City where Mom grew up and past the Frontenac chapel and my other grandparent's house. I know it doesn't seem significant to Sam and Michael now, but I enjoyed showing them. It had been three years since I'd been home and, since I just read Gone With the Wind, I felt a little like Scarlet O'Hara who just needed to get back to Tara for some strength. I confess maybe that's where I got the idea to go home!
Grandpa had bought LEGO helicopters which he helped the boys put together after church on Sunday. They were thrilled! He also flew kites with them in the common ground - Blue Angles jet - shaped kites! Another hit from this fun Grandpa!
We spent Monday night with Dave and Lizzie and their kids for dinner and family night. We had a rambunctious game of Fruitbasket and made s'mores in the woods behind their house and Sam and Michael wandered off under the light of the full moon "hunting coyotes." Good Heavens. We found them quickly. We don't have enough nature around here in CA. They loved being the the big yards in St. Louis!
Then there was the Zoo. We took Michael's stuffed animal Monkey to see the monkeys in the monkey house. He loved it! Michael decided he likes his stuffed animal better than the live ones, though.
Obligatory Zoo photo opp.
And on the train! That was fun. I loved sharing these experiences with Michael and Sam! I loved hearing them play in the basement and discovering the laundry chute. I went jogging around the neighborhood and sorted through the big boxes of school papers and letters Mom has saved in the basement. It was just what I needed.
We had FUN picking up gum tree balls in the front yard a couple of mornings. It was fun to spend time outside. Sam loved this tool and ran around the yard with it. He asked if there were any more gum balls to pick up when we were done. He likes to help with the chores, when I can find some he can help with.
Of course it all ended too soon. See Sam's lovely expression? Time to get home to more discipline!
At home Anna can be found taking care of her babies around the clock. She pats them and kisses them, sings them lullabies and puts them in their cradle, thanks Mom and Dad, to sleep for the night.
She's tall enough for the tricycle at last and likes to zoom around in front of the house whenever there's time.
Baby! Baby Bottle! Her babies are always hungry and she's always ready and willing to feed them.
She'll let me put pigtails in her hair, but only waits a short while before pulling the rubber bands out of her hair and going back to her ragamuffin appearance.
I found about 50 pictures of these airplanes on the camera one day. Some kind of attack on the kitchen table.
And today, they're playing boxes because we're MOVING to a new house!
Anna has decided she's done with diapers so she's wearing underwear but lacks the skills that go with them. It's making for an interesting time trying to pack.
Here are the color schemes I'm trying to work out. It's hard to know what color to choose when you can't hold the paint chips up to the carpet or counter tops, but I'm prepared for the day we get the key!
Here are the color schemes I'm trying to work out. It's hard to know what color to choose when you can't hold the paint chips up to the carpet or counter tops, but I'm prepared for the day we get the key!
We are so excited about the house. Before we had the boys we were debating about whether to do IVF. The prices of houses were skyrocketing and it looked like we'd never be able to catch up with them. My wise visiting teacher told me, "It will be better to have an apartment full of children than to have an empty house." We obviously used our money for the best decision but are happy to finally buy a house to put these children in!
I took this picture the day we found out we got it. We were leaving the mall from having the kids' pictures taken. I'll put up some more pictures of it soon. We should get the keys next week. Hip Hip Hurray! I could and should write a post about the search for an elementary school for the boys. I have learned a lot about education the last few months, but that will have to wait. There are boxes waiting to be filled!
