What are you doing on a Sunday afternoon?

Back to the porch swing pictures

No back to school here. Post-Mass today, we broke out the Canon and loaded ourselves again on the front porch swing for some impromtu family snapshots. The weather felt like fall this morning, which sent me rummaging through our clothes for some longer sleeves and baby girl tights.

At least one of them was smiling.


A concerted effort- by all of them.


That little angel face. A promise of candy.

Farewell cuddle kick-starts baby's life

The doctors had given up all hope for this 20 oz. baby girl upon her birth.

I got choked up when I read the story about this miracle baby.

Idlewild

We left as soon as soon as we got ready this morning to head to Idlewild (about an hour and a half drive), where we met our friends, Laura, and her kids, Sam and Betsy. The little ones had a great time walking around Storybook Forest, going through the houses and climbing on all of the fairy tails. But the most fun was probably had in the balls, where we went three separate times. Jack says his favorite part was riding on the red train (though climbing on the Little Engine that Could was also a hit). We didn't even make it to any of the real rides before it was naptime, and time to say bye to the balls.
Gail was out before we even left the parking lot (but her siesta only lasted a mere twenty minutes), and Jack kept telling me on the way home, "I'm not tired." I guess he wasn't, as he stayed awake and happy for the entire two-hour drive home (we hit a lot of traffic).

Acting like children

We had the exhibit all to ourselves for the first five or so minutes we were there.



She had to give everyone hugs.


He'd been talking all week about how he was going to shake Bob's hand and tell him all about his own Scoop and Muck and Lofty. He was too timid to go any closer than this, but he did get a high five (after much coaxing, as there was a long line behind us).


As enthralling as the Bob exhibit was the trolley in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.



This was all Jack did on the second floor kids' nursery area, until I bribed him to come play in the birdseed (with a small bulldozer).



Waterplay.


Both kids wore their swimsuits and swim diapers (Gail's lasted all of five minutes in the museum), but it was easier for Jack to just put on one of the provided slickers-- Gail wore the provided crocks.

our (2) biggest blessings

I have to smile to myself sometimes that God knows exactly what He is doing in all things. And He is aware of what we need at just the right moment. It seems that every time I'm tempted to drop to the floor and declare Uncle!, in God's grace, I see the humor or the beauty or the inquisition in my children, and all of the sinful feelings melt instantly away!! At least, long enough for me to realize that I don't have to do this alone.
This morning, we walked to the library immediately following my puncture-wound-blow to the face with a fork by Abigail (surprise! she's now able to reach the perimeter of the counter) and many blows-to-Jack's-head by Abigail + toy, to which he always replies, "No, Abigail. I don't like that" (sweetheart). Time-outs to her are like a mesh umbrella in a downpour. She is one spirited child, and we love her fiery, spunky personality. Isn't it wonderful that God created them all different? It just needs to be directed elsewhere, at times. I am wracking my brain to think of ways to "persuade" her (reading Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child-- it can't hurt--, Dobson's Dare to Discipline and looking for strong-willed child books-- any suggestions?). Anyway, I'm trusting God might have an idea. :)

In the meantime, when we're not cuddling or reading books or dancing or playing "babies," etc., getting them out of the house seems like a good distraction- for me and them.


She'd been carrying three or four green beans around in her bucket for a while, and when I turned to take a picture of her, I caught this:


Do not like.


Not ready yet, sweetie.


I think she had just sprayed herself in the face with the hose.


Trying to find another rollie pollie bug. He had just been holding one, and it fell into the grass.

Still tempted by that fruit.


"Mowing" the lawn.

Dreaming of trucks

The other day, we noticed that Jack's sheets were in need of cleaning, and the only ones I had to replace the solid red were a set of mismatched fitted and flat, but both pink. So the next day, we set out for the big store, and I told Jack he could pick out his own sheets, provided they weren't too outrageous (in price or appearance). We got through the entire bedding department of me asking, "Would you rather have this one or this one?" with a nice set of blue ones as the favorite. Little did I know, we would come across the children's bedding toward the end of our shopping. There were camping and sports ones and and Wall-E (which Jack actually requested, but they were pretty cheap looking) and Spiderman, but I wasn't surprised at all by his final choice-- trucks. He had to "help" me put them on as soon as we got home, tucking in all of the sides and putting the pillow in the right spot.


Tomorrow, we're going to see his favorite buddies at the Children's Museum. That's right, Bob the Builder and his can do crew! I dont know if I'll be able to sleep tonight. Fortunately, at Jack's age, he hasn't grasped what's going on, or he may actually not be able to sleep tonight. I'm excited for him.

this little face

I love it so.

104

My great (the kids' great-great) grandmother (Gigi) turns 104 today. She fell around Easter, and it's been a slow recovery since then, but she's been back at her own house for a while now and is doing fairly well. We wish we could see her more often than once every two or three months, as it takes the kids a while to warm up again every time, but we are blessed to have this amazing, funny lady in our family.

Happy birthday, Ol' Joe!

Mike's work picnic

A fun time, until we had a diaper incident at the park, and it started to pour. Unfortunately we didn't get to see much of Dad, as he was manning the grill most of the time. At least it amounted to long afternoon naps!