So Darn Cute

Birthday Season and the Start of School

Well it is birthday season around our home. We celebrated Anika's 8th birthday a few weeks ago. She enjoyed eating sushi with daddy when they went out the night before her birthday (a family tradition) and the staff amused her by making her stand on a chair and dance while they sang "Happy Birthday".
She spent a very fun overnight with Auntie Shana and Uncle Scottie and suprised us with "fake" glasses she picked out while they were shopping. They look adorable on her but we are hoping her eyes stay strong and she will never need "real" ones!
Elijah is preparing to celebrate his 4th birthday this weekend. He does not know it yet but he has a new bike coming his way! He is enjoying learning his letters and writing them during school time. We has demonstrated he likes to write with both hands spontaneously and appears to have equal ability writing with both. We are encouraging him to continue with both if he chooses. It will be intersting to see if he starts prefering one more for writing as his writing develops.
Aubrey has joined Anika this year as I group teach. She does her own math but everything else is the same. She loves the hands on activities and has really made the most of the great weather, playing outside any chance she gets.
The babies (I often wonder how long I will call them that) keep us very busy. They move from one activity (or one mess) to the next. They both love to pose for pictures lately which makes taking them easier and they turn out adorable!
Ty entertains us with his love for music, playing the guitar and dancing. His smile just melts my heart and he calls me "mom mom" which is about the cutest thing I have heard. His language is rapidly developing, today he said "smoothie" in his own cute way. He loves hitting a ball off of the tee and has a natural swing.
Orion climbs everything, loves to play with any ball and is really into turning anything he can into a gun with his "bew bew" shrill. The number of bruises he displays at the end of each day has gotten fewer througout the summer. It definately is not due to lack of action, it must be better protection with each fall!
We enjoyed a family weekend in Red Wing in September and completed a 3 mile hike with the kids just before it began to rain. We started a landscaping project that is a lot of work but is turning out nicely. We will complete it in the spring. Shawn is gearing up for hunting season and continues to work hard in supporting our family. I have had the opportunity to do a few vaccine presentataions recently and assist a few new moms with postpartum issues. Shawn and I have been finding a little time to go on a date a few times a month and are looking forward to resuming our workout program next week.
Look for pictures in the next few days!

Updates

Life has been busy around here, imagine that!
We celebrated Aubrey's 6th birthday at the end of April with family and friends. She is really enjoying her new "girl" bike from Grandma and Pa.
The babies and I went through a sudden unplanned weaning about 3 weeks ago and everyone has adapted well, even me!! Although I am not sure what is going to happen with my hormones not nursing or being pregnant for the first time in 8 years!
Speaking of the babies, they have some new tricks up their sleeves lately and are usually working in tandem. Check out this picture that happened as I was tending to one of the older children:


Orion has taken his physical talents to a new level as he now dropkicks a ball and dribbles a soccer and basketball. He never ceases to amaze me as last night in the tub he climbed on the ledge while holding onto the safety bar and immediately proceeded to have a BM, this follows his technique last week where he shot to a standing position in the tub to have a BM. I wonder what this means for potty training???
Amittai entertains us with his fake laugh and his constant chatter. He has decided he LOVES milk and asks for it all day. He has also decided if he raises his hand and says "me" when I ask a question of anyone, he will get milk. He is adorable!!

Elijah has decided he wants to start doing school so he has been enjoying practicing writing his numbers on a wet erase number book and singing letter sounds. He loves being outside and is looking forward to this weekend when the rain is supposed to stop and warmer weather should arrive.
Anika and I had some "mommy time" this week when she accompanied me to a local high school for two presentations I was giving. She was amazed by the number of kids in the lunch area when we walked in and she was even asked a couple of questions by the students.
Both girls have been enjoying their time with the piano and amaze me how quickly they learn and sit down to practice randomly.
Shawn's new clinic space opened last week and he is enjoying the fresh environment. Now the search is on for the right people to join them and fill it.
More to come later...

Stream of Conciousness

You have to love a boy who last week jogged (seriously!) to the park and back and yesterday rode his three wheel bike to the park and back and cheered himself on each time chanting, "Go rocky, go rocky or go rocket, go rocket"!!

I am still processing a comment I recieved from another woman Tuesday night, "you look 10 years younger than you did the first time I met you, its like you lost 10 years". Most of the time I am told and feel like I look much younger than my age, especially when they find out I have 5 children!!! That must have been a bad day when she first met me!

Over the weekend Shawn had a few injuries to his fingers while working on the new office and required bandaids. He was not happy with our selection at home and started thinking that we should probably have a better selection on hand since it is spring and we have 5 children, three who are boys. So the other night he sent me to the store with orders for sushi, for him, and a bunch of first aid supplies so we can "be prepared" (he was kicked out of the boy scouts but learned something!).
I am now blaming him for the events that occured within 3 hours yesterday.
Orion, the ball freak, wiped out of the driveway while trying to pick up a basketball, which he just carries around everywhere and will not substitue with any smaller ball that would be easier to carry. He got a large bump and bruise on the left side of his forehead to match the one on the right side from bumping the table earlier in the day.
Elijah wiped out while playing basketball and did a really good job skinning up a large area near his elbow requiring very large bandaids and a sucker!
Anika wrapped up the evening by wiping out on her bike and taking a gouge out of her knee, bleeding a lot, telling me she is shaking, I directing her to sit down so she does not pass out as she is freaking out because blood is pouring down her leg immediately. This required a lot of cleaning, discussion about stitches and then Shawns handywork to butterfly the wound.
I am glad we were prepared!!!

All I want for Easter are my two front teeth!!!

Keep Audrey and her family in your thoughts

If you would please keep Audrey, Hope and their family in your thoughts as they celebrate Duane's life today.

If Our Kitchen Table Could Talk

Our kitchen table, that came with more chairs then we ever imagined using on a regulalr basis, would have so many stories to tell.
It would tell of being spilled on daily, being wiped down at least 5 times daily, having food thrown across it by two silly boys, being the test field for a 7 year old with a new leatherman, having its corners bumped daily by two little heads and being the chosen rising place for Shawns great bread.
It would also tell of the announcement to the older 3 children that there were two babies growing in mommies belly, the joys and frustrations of homeschooling, Elijah creating stories with minature animals while schooling is happening, snowflakes being made, the girls turning a cardboard box into a home, creations with play dough and sand art, meals and laughter with family and friends, hard lessons learned, bible teachings, budget meetings and all the hope and joys a family share.

The Twins New Games and More

Amittai and Orion have a few new games that they find entertaining.
They love to get into the laundry baskets (sometimes empty and sometimes not) and play. Sometimes they both climb into the same basket, which can be hilarious or ugly depending on their mood, and other times they push two baskets next to each other and each hop in one. They giggle at each other, read books to each other and sometimes even dance.
The second new game I am not too fond of but they are. They have discovered the noise and visual entertainment that comes from throwing things through the gate down the stairs. Recently all of Elijahs cars, action figures, metal water bottles, cups and clothes have taken the fall.
They have also figured out how to push each others buttons by putting their arm in the other one's "personal space" at the kitchen table. They have an all out screaming battle and continue doing it to make the other mad.
Orion is walking full time now and Ty is standing for short periods of time and thinking about taking steps.
We are diligently working on getting them to sleep through the night and night weaning. This is going very well. I am looking forward to a full nights sleep in the VERY near future.
Elijah made my day yesterday when he repeated to me all evening, "mommy, you made me so proud. Mommy, you made me so happy" after he helped me make corn to go with dinner (he added the butter and salt) and then I let him vaccum the living room couches and floor. There is not sweeter little boy than this one!!!
Aubreys reading is moving along. She prefers the hands on activities but I have caught her recently sitting down with a book once in awhile. She is really enjoying the warmer weather and being outside more and she has started her birthday wish list.
Anika continues to read everything she can get her hands on. She finished the first Little House on the Prairie book in 2 weeks and is now working through the second. She recently has enjoyed asking to be "in charge" for a short period of time while I put the babies down for a nap. She then makes Aubrey and Elijah a snack that usually involves juice, with a straw of course, and a fruit or vegetable she has peeled.
That is the recent update.
Pictures to come soon!

First Birthday Fun

Still a Fan !?

Only because he has not learned any better yet, Elijah requested to wear this today (the day after their LOSS in the NFC championship game):

My Pants Are Getting Pulled Down!

Did I intrigue you with the title of this post?

I bet.

But it is the case lately. As I move throughout the house, spending most of my time it seems in the kitchen/dining room area, I have one baby hanging on each leg. And it is a problem because together, they manage to pull my pants down. So I am constantly GENTLY placing the babies away from my legs and hiking my pants up. I must say, of all of the awesome points in having TWO babies, this is not one of my favorites. In fact, it is driving me a little CRAZY!!! That and the whining which is not heard when I am out of sight and mind (or so I have been told).

But those two adorable babies turned one last week. Can you believe it!! It definitely was the fastest year of my life!! We celebrated with smoothies after dinner on the night of their big day after we sang Happy Birthday to each of them. We were then joined last Saturday by family and friends to watch them enjoy their first cupcakes!
I must admit, leading up to their first birthday, I was emotional and stressed out, downright crabby and spending WAY too much time reflecting on all of the events of that day one year ago. BUT after a lovely challenge from Shawn (he knows how to get me to think) and some prayer the morning or their first birthday, I had a sense of peace that day and celebrated!

We timed the family celebration on Saturday perfectly between naps and had two very happy and entertaining 1 year old boys! They enjoyed opening gifts, showing their new tricks and eating sweet frosting!
Then the best part happened after everyone was gone and second naps were taken, as I cleaned up the kitchen that evening, the two of them settled in the living room with their new toys. Ty with a book and Orion with a ball and they played! For almost an hour, they made their way from toy to book while giggling at each other once in a while.
I will post pictures soon!









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The One and Only Elijah Shawn

The cutest snowboy ever!!!





The other day the older kids were playing downstairs when I heard Aubrey crying and claiming Elijah had stepped on her leg. When I asked Elijah if he had stepped on her leg he replied, "no". I asked if he was lying or telling the truth and he said, "I am not lying. I did not step on her leg, I did not punch her, I did not bite her, I did not push her, I did not hit her and I did not stab her". I guess he covered all of the bases!