Harris

I'm posting this "as is"... the order is messed up and I can't figure out how to fix it, but the content is there...

A little help from Adeline to whip up some Valentine's skirts...

I think I'm addicted to making skirts.

She was very interested in the sewing and quite content to sit on my lap and "help".

Our coloring boy, who just this month developed a neat tripod grasp and is coloring so carefully and intricately. Note the butterfly under his arm - he did that all on his own! It's amazing!

These very cool markers are Crayola Color Surge. Highly recommended.

On a completely unrelated note: Mac learned to skip tonight! He's been practicing and practicing, but it's only been a step hop on his coordinated left foot with nothing on the right. I'm content to leave it at that, as skipping is definitely not a four year old skill. However, Lucy can skip and can skip well and Mac really wants to skip with her. So tonight we were walking out of Mudpuddles, and he started "skipping". We were holding hands, so I started just lifting him up a little every time he stepped on his right foot. It was just the right amount of cueing he needed to skip for real! It wasn't pretty, but it was skipping! He was thrilled. We'll see if he can do it again tomorrow.

This is Adeline's good buddy Harris from down the street. We hang out with them a lot. Harris is three weeks younger than Addie, and they adore each other

(could we really be so lucky to have found a "Lucy" for Adeline??)

Anyway, I have been feeling guilty that as much as we hang out with them, that I have virtually no pictures of the two of them. Geez!!! Today, I took some pictures. Isn't he the cutest thing ever?

(I have been contemplating buying this amazing scrapbook kit called Project Life. Has everything needed to complete a page a week documenting life's little things, which really are what make our days full. Right up my alley - but can I keep up with it and will I love it or will it be just another thing on my ever-full "to do list"? Check it out at amazon.com and send me your opinions!)
Building with the Lego Quattro blocks. Well, Addie was building and Harris was knocking it over. That's little boys for you!!

I think the kitchen sink from the pink kitchen is the most used toy we have. That thing gets used for everything and every kid that comes over takes it out.
Either a useful design flaw, or a very smart toy company!

(One of the possible uses for Project Life is to take a picture a day, and jot a couple notes about the day... perhaps easy if I can keep up with it. So, I decided to try taking at least one picture a day. I've seen this on other blogs, and love it, even when I don't really know the people. I tend to take pictures of the kids and that's it. AND SO... when I got the pictures off the camera tonight, what did I have? Pictures of the kids. Yup. Nuthin' else. So, I will attempt to branch out and document our life in addition to the kiddos. But here's a few from today. )

Mac got a haircut today. Cute, eh?Addie showed us that she can stack blocks,

and was persistant at stacking the long skinny blocks on top of each other.

I was amazed!

Dancing to "rock and roll" - an excellent rainy Sunday morning activity

January pictures: ballerina rockstar birthday party
washing shells

playing Princess Chutes and Ladders

snow hole

tuck position

learning to ski

skiing!!!

washing his hair

bathtime with Lucy after playing in th rain!!! Spiky hair.

Mac picked out all the clothes he needed to take to daycare.

They do get wet and messy every day, and usually need a change of clothes, but for the most part, he's in his underwear.

Just a quick story before we dash off to Mac's best friend Lucy's Rockstar Ballerina birthday party:

Yesterday, Mac, Addie and I headed to the bathroom to wash our hands. This always involves some amount of water play, peeing, talking about the dog food, washing spilled water off the floor... you get the picture. Never a short trip despite my best efforts. So Adeline was happily playing in water in the sink and Mac had to go to the bathroom. He said to Addie "Adeline, boys shake. Do you want to watch me shake? I can shake it really good." Lovely! I worked hard not to crack up. Addie seemed indifferent and went about playing in the water.

Happy Holidays 2009

Happy Holidays!

A few pictures from our celebrations in Leavenworth, Washington.

Santa pictures from a few weeks ago are at the end.Eating Swedish coffee bread by the tree on Christmas morning

while we wait for the others to wake up.
Santa brought Adeline a doll house!

Addie hanging in a camp chair during the present opening.

McKinley's present from Santa: Hot Wheels Big Rigs Recycle Action Pack

Loving his new snowshoes from Papa and Nana.

"Mom, I can snow shoe all by myself! I know I can!"

...and he could! and he loved it!

One of the coolest things we did was to go out at night snowshoeing around Jim and Care's property. We all wore headlights and tromped through the woods. After the first loop, most people were done. McKinley wanted to go again, and he wanted to be the leader.

We loved it!

Stockings hung with carabiners on the rock fireplace.

The fireplace is actually outside on the deck and

the woodstove will eventually go where the doll house is sitting.

Kids table! McKinley, Josephine, Adeline and Norah.

Family picture on the real sleigh ride we took on Christmas eve!

Addie wasn't so sure. We put mittens on her that had no thumbs and she just kept holding up her hands and staring at them, like "where are my thumbs?"

The horses were Belgian Draft Horses named Sis and Hank.

Mac made good friends with them afterwards. They were beautiful!

Cascade Mountains around Leavenworth as viewed from the sleigh.

Josephine all bundled up.

In the "way back" of the mini van!

The sleding hill at Jim and Care's.

Lovingly tended with shovels and water by Jim and John.

Getting ready to go sledding!

Accepting a candy cane, but no way was he sitting on his lap!

WHY in the world does any kid sit on this guys lap?

Sorry, Addie. Just wanted a Santa picture.

Maybe next year?

How do we fill our days?

Our days begin early, but it gives us lots of time for play.

So, how do we fill our days, besides the endless laundry and dishes? Here's a sample:We play outside. Mac's on top of a pile of bark chips from some tree branches we had cut down from our big trees in the backyard.
We drink.
Addie loves her Dora straw cup, but also loves to drink out of anything Mac and I are using.

We have tea parties using every cup in the house and every snack from the snack cabinet.

This was one of my favorite activities last week. Mac started it with a vase, a wine glass and a picture from the hutch. Then he came and asked for a tablecloth. I asked why and he told me "Mom, I'm setting the table for a beautiful dinner!" I asked who was invited, his answer: "you and Addie!" I asked if I could bring anything, he said "A salad would be wonderful!" I love that kid and I love "almost four". What a fun age, even if he does push my buttons regularly...

(See the baby in the carrier at the bottom? We also play babies on a regular basis.)

We eat. Seriously. We eat about every hour. On this morning, Addie just stood at this table eating while Mac kept serving up the treats. Hilarious!

We act goofy and want someone to take pictures.

We play in the leaves. I get these two outside as often as possible. Addie has started bringing me her coat and shoes and this morning I swear she said "go!" as she handed them to me. She cried so hard when Curt and Mac went outside without her, that we needed to immediately follow.

We help with projects. Mac loves projects, especially when they involve tools.

Here they are putting the new stickers on Curt's car.

We color with friends. Our buddy Garen brought over Crayola Color Surge Tinkerbell pictures. We love to color anyway, but then to use these seriously amazing markers that turn a solid piece of paper neon colors and FAIRIES to boot! Magic. Pure gimic, but magic none-the-less. I went and bought a pack to take on the plane with us when we fly to North Carolina next week. Now if only we can keep Addie from eating the markers.

We do tricks while sucking on a lollypop.

Mac. He likes tricks.

We celebrate birthdays!~ Happy 68th Papa!

And yes, that's a homemade apple pie and it was yummy.

We also bake a lot, but I'll save that for another post.

Happy third week of November!

We officially have a paper chain for Mac to tear one off every morning and read the number and that's how many days we have until North Carolina. I'm not sure who's more excited - me or Mac. I can't wait to snuggle my new baby niece Nora!