Yay for the bumbo!

Jemma loves to sit up and watch the kids and I'm starting to get serious wrist aches from holding her that way so we got out the bumbo and ta da! she liked it!

Taking a bite out of bunny's nose.

I miss sick days.

A lady asked me the other day how can I possibly stay home with my kids all day and don't I miss going to work everyday? I can easily say that no! After years of working with high school and college students, I don't ever wish I was heading into work at 8:00 am instead of staying home with my three little monkeys.....except when I am sick. For some reason, sick days are not included in the SAHM contract. I don't get sick that often but I can still remember one time when Jack was about six months old and I got the real flu and had a monstrous fever, earache, headache, bodyache, you name it. I spent the day laying on the floor in the playroom, only semi-conscious while Jack climbed all over me, poking his fingers in my eyes and ears. This week I have had a nasty cold and while I am still mobile and not layed out like that time, I still want to crawl in bed and sleep until dinner. My head got full enough that I loaded up the kids and headed to the store for some medicine and then I had to wait in line for 15 minutes (15!) to ask the pharmacist if Sudafed is still the only medication I can take while nursing and then wait another 5 while I filled out all the paperwork making it possible for me to actually purchase the Sudafed (thanks to all the meth-makers out there for that one). All the while, Jemma was screaming in her carseat and Jack was (helpfully) repeating every 10 seconds, "Mom, Jemma's crying" in case I couldn't hear her through the sinus fog in my head. And, after all that, I totally forgot to actually take a pill till after I got everyone home and fed and in bed.

Retro Friday

This weekend, last year.

Look what I found

Ed as an infant.

This explains why Jemma was a 9-pounder.

And more importantly, why, at her size, she is still our least chubby baby. She actually seems downright skinny sometimes!

She's missing Ava and Jack's 4 or 5 armrolls but she's still pretty cute!

Hanging around

Ava's showing off her new earrings and Jack cannot turn down a photo op.

This is her carseat face--she still doesn't like it but she has learned screaming won't get her out faster--it will just give her (and her mom!) a big headache!

So much help!

An oldie but goodie!

This is Ava at Jemma's age. Mmm, I can remember exactly how squishy sweet she was!

Jemma's Baptism

Sweet Jemma Jane in my dress at 3 1/2 months.

Sleepy Ava Blythe in the dress at 2 months.

Me in the dress at 5 months.

One more party!

Jack was super excited to be invited to Will's birthday party!

He wanted to give Will a dog (a real one) but he settled for a slingshot (you're welcome Paula!)

Happy Birthday Will!

These two are good buddies.

My favorite.

Party Time, take III (we do love birthdays!)

Happy Birthday!

We celebrate these three together and they are cute!

Dessert time!

Happy Chaos.

Party Time, take II

Happy birthday!

(this time with Ed's parents)

Pink headphones!

(And yes, she wore the Birthday Girl ribbon two days in a row)

Ed in pink headphones.

All pooped out.

Party Time!

Jack gave Ava new earrings to wear to her party. He told her days ago that's what he bought her but she pretended to be surprised.

Jack spent most of the party here, watching Cars on the computer.

Opening presents (with a little help).

Ava's parties are usually in the day and Ed always misses out so this year we had a pizza party at night so he could see all the fun. Here he is running the bingo game.

Make a wish!

Later that night, Ava in her new super-cute jammies from Madeline, opened her presents from us.

Happy Birthday Ava Blythe!

Makin' her birthday cake!

Her first at-school birthday and she really wanted to take pink flower cookies. She was up at 5:00 this morning ready to go!


Happy Birthday to my sweet Ava Blythe.
The thing about Ava is that she is a lot like me so I just get her and she's a lot like Ed so I just really like her. I like to take her out and I like to keep her in. She is a cozy, funny friend.

In honor of her sixth birthday, here are six things that make her such a delight:
She is thoughtful and has such a real empathy for others.
She is a quick thinker and is always looking for ways to be helpful.
She has a generous spirit. She is genuinely happy for others and it keeps her content.
She is immensely patient with her brother...it amazes me!
She can be a stubborn little cookie but she never has a temper...she just doesn't get angry.
She wakes up every morning with a cheery face and talking to her (or really just listening to her) is the best way to start the day!

Retro Friday

She's here!

She's One.

She's Two.

She's Three (and a big sister!).

She's Four.

She's Five.

This was a mistake.

I was putting away Jemma's laundry when I realized it was time to put all her 0-3 months clothes away, then I started pulling out all her 6-9 months clothes, then I decided to hang all her sweaters, and then it snowballed into this. I have no idea why I find the need to take a perfectly clean room and reorganize it. And the real question is how does a three-month old girl possibly have this much stuff??

I love my reader!

and so does Jemma Jane.

Happy Birthday Madison Georgia!

They're both five for a couple days.

We took the kids to lunch today to celebrate and while we used to do this all the time, this is the first time we've gone with all 10 kids!

Look carefully, you can see 10 cute little heads.

Happy Vacation!

So happy to be on vacation!!

I went to town for some of my favorite shopping and when I got back, Ed said she had been sitting like this for at least 45 minutes.

Ava having some hors d'oeuvres with her baby (in the car seat there). We always have hors d'oeuvres on vacation--it's our favorite part of the day!

One of their favorite landmarks.

Jack and I took a long walk by ourselves and he said he would be really brave and go first to make a path for me, then he kept turning around and yelling, "you coming?" when I was just a step behind him.

Looking for fish under the ice.

Cheese!

Visiting the horses across the street.

Jemma was perfect the whole time...except for when I tried to get a Valentines picture of them! (I love her big lip here!)

I forgot how much more stuff there is to pack when traveling with a baby but besides all the extra luggage, she was an easy, smiley addition to our trip!

All pooped out.

(He is getting so big!)