Garbage Man...

If you come to my house please note that the bathroom garbage can is purely for looks only...you see if anything happens to get thrown in the garbage can a certain 10 month old little boy is sure to take it out, taste it then carry it around the house until he finds just the right place to stash it away...a place where his mother is likely not to find it for weeks! I bought this garbage can at Ikea before Elsie was born because I thought since it had a lid children would leave it alone...and worked for Elsie...I don't remember her playing in at all...It does not at all for James...darn it! He can also get the kitchen cabinets open that have a baby proof lock on them...this boy can figure everything out...no stopping him!

Climber...

Lately James has 2 loves...climbing and his daddy! Both the kids get so excited when Jon come home...James starts wildly waving his arms and screaming until Jon picks him up! One evening when Jon got home he was fixing the pantry door and James was doing everything possible to get his Daddy's attention...He even climbed up on a box to get a couple inches closer to Daddy...
When James climbs up on things he does not fully understand about edges and falls right off...he is slowly getting better...slowly! Thankfully Daddy was close by this time...

In the end James was a happy little guy...climbing up on the box worked...he got in his Daddy's arms...and just look at how happy he is!

Yoga...

Our family has never been one for exercises...not sure why, it is just the way we are. That said we are certainly not a bunch of couch potatoes...we are all very active people! Several months ago my chiropractor suggested I start doing daily stretches on an exercises ball and take up Yoga to strengthen my back and stay flexible due to the extra bone and the bulged disk in my back. I have been pretty good with the daily stretches...Elsie has a little ball she uses so we can do it together...very cute! I can tell a huge difference in my back if I "forget" to do the stretches for a couple days!
Yoga is a different story entirely...I hardly ever actually get the time to it! I used to do it with both kids...Elsie and I usually do the poses together...and I had visions of James sitting and quietly watching (yeah, right!). Yoga is a relaxing exercises that focus a lot on breathing...However with a son who is constantly on the move it was anything but relaxing! And I am not even sure if I was breathing...I couldn't even focus in a pose long enough to breath before I had to rescue James from something! Anyway...I quit. Yoga was too tough...my body never hurt from doing it...but my mind did! Now that James is a bit older I thought I would try it again while he is napping (though he always wakes up way before I am done...he hates napping!).Elsie was doing most of the poses with me...towards the end she got bored...so I gave her the camera to keep her busy...and she took *several* pictures...mainly my butt and the back of my head! Now we will always have proof that I did my best to keep strong and healthy...because I know nothing is worse than not being able to be active!

Green Grass...

We are loving all this green grass in the yard...and I will confess...I love dandelions! They brighten up the yard a bit...until they get too tall and turn to seed...then I don't love them quite so much. My dad hates dandelions with a passion...I remember one time he offered to pay we kids money if we would pick the dandelions out of the yard! We are quite the opposite here...we pick lots of dandelions and put them in vases to admire!

James loves to pick the dandelions apart...he even thinks they taste pretty good! They are quite organic so I figure a few will be okay!

Both James and Elsie already have some little tan lines going on...when the kids see the sun shining they beg to outside...no keeping these kids inside! We spend all afternoon outside...playing in the sandbox, swing set, bikes, going for walks, water play...you name it!

This year the hill in the yard keeps the kids quite busy! Elsie runs up and down the hill...seeing how fast she can go. James does his best to keep up with his sister...but his little legs always get tangled up and he rolls down the hill!

Elsie loves "escape" outside without me knowing...I really do know but she loves it when I act all surprised when I find her knocking on the door! Silly girl!

With all the warm weather we have been able to hang a couple loads of laundry out on the line...the kids love "helping"me...Elsie loves run through the clothes as I hang them on the line. James loves to dump all the pins out on the ground...it is like a treasure hunt for me when I need a pin! How boring my life would be without these two...

Helpful little fellow...

Love this picture...These two have so much fun together...even though it looks like Elsie is strangling her brother! Happy kids...I am blessed!

Embrace the Camera...In The Car...

Last week my sister, Ana and her 2 children were here all week...One day while she was here Ana, her baby Gus, my sister Lisa, James and myself took a little one-and-a-half hour trip to see our other sister, Ceara. Ceara is in Cosmetology School...and Ana trusted her to cut and colour her hair...brave...I only let her trim my bangs!
Lisa and I had the grand vision of doing a little shopping while Ana got her hair done...Gus would be sleeping the whole time, James would happily ride along in the stroller and babble to himself and Lisa and I could do all the shopping our hearts desired! Ummm...reality check! James cried...okay he screamed... and Gus needed his mama after one store!

Next best thing...Taco's from Taco Johns's in the car and a few self-portrait pictures...and lots of people watching! We did manage to get to one store before James had enough shopping...I came out with a pair of black heals and Lisa came out with pair of jeans. Eating Taco's in the car was far more fun anyhow, right Lisa!?

Lisa was quite a trooper on our little adventure...She puts up quite a bit and always remains calm! Our car ride to the College was quite the adventure...James decided he really didn't want to sit in his seat anymore...and he let us know by crying louder and louder until it was a full fledged scream! We pulled over so I could nurse the little stinker in hopes of him drifting off to sleep...but no...he just wanted to sit on the floor and play...so we drove on with him screaming in his seat again. James screamed...it woke 3 month old Gus...who screamed because he needed his mama to take care of him. Thank goodness for red lights...Ana and I jumped out and switched so I could drive and she could soothe Gus. We made it to the College...Ana got her hair coloured...Lisa and I did a tiny bit of shopping...we ate our Taco's...A good day in the end. I am happy to say the ride home went better...both kids slept! And our children must not have scared Lisa off to badly...she always readily accepts when I ask her to go shopping with me!

(please note we were not driving in this picture...we sat in the parking lot for well over an hour waiting for Ana and enjoying those Taco's!)

Water Fun...

Last week we discovered that James is quite the little water bug...and not good at following directions! Lisa and I kept trying to hold James hand and walk along the path around the lake...but James did his best to walk where he wanted and explore whatever caught his eye! James was fascinated with the the sculptures...and just was not happy until he was able to walk to them!
Then he saw all all the big rocks by the waters edge! He was not happy until Lisa finally plopped him down on one of the rocks...

At one end of the lake was a sandy beach area...James loved being able to walk right into the lake! The water was rather cold...but he didn't seem to mind one bit! James wanted to keep walking and splashing in the water...Lisa had to hold him back!

A fun little lake...the perfect place to enjoy the water and get nice and wet!

James kept walking a little further out...he seems to love the water...he is going to love going to the beach this summer...and the little pool!

Nothing stops this boy...we is quite an adventurer....and such a boy already!

By the time we left James was drenched...I think this summer this boy will be living in swim shorts!

Boy' will be Boy's...

My parents have a fireplace at one end of the living room...when we are there my mom often moves the big coffee table in front of the fireplace to keep the little kids away just in case the fireplace is hot...however, Grammie's little trick no longer works...James simply crawls under the table to get to the beloved fireplace...
When my brother was James age he loved to play with the bricks on the hearth...he zoomed his little cars all over the bricks. One day he took some of his construction cars and dug and dug with all his might until he picked the mortar out and some of the bricks fell off! I find it interesting that Colter had such an obsession with those bricks...neither of the girls younger than him ever played with the bricks, nor did Elsie...but now that James and Oliver are around the bricks are "mysteriously" falling off again!

Both James and Oliver constantly had those bricks off the hearth...and they were covered in mortar! Those boys are silly boys...gotta wonder what is going on in that little mind of theirs...

James~ The Climber...

James loves playing with this old toy truck that belongs to uncle Colter...James likes to make it make noise by pushing on the little levers...then he flips it over to figure out how it works...he is just like his daddy!
He pushes the little car all over the room...sometimes he makes a little car noise at the same time! He is such a boy...I love watching his little personality develop...

James is quite an explorer...and very busy! In no time at all James pushed the little car to the couch...stood up on the car and climbed on the couch...he is very quick!

And he was quite proud of himself for getting up on the couch like a big boy! And I love my sister, Ceara's expression...you can tell she has grown up in a big family...she certainly won't be a "helicopter mom"...she sat there and let James figure everything out on his own...she only offered praise and encouragement to him...

Because James is the explorer kind of kid...soon the couch was not quite good enough...he had to climb over to the coffee table and see what he could find! Ceara did intervene then and took him down...otherwise nothing would have been left on the table! Now that James had discovered how to climb he won't stay off anything...chairs, steps, toys...nothing is safe!

Cousin Play...

Last week my sister Ana and her two children, Oliver and Gus came up for the week...we all had a blast visiting and passing kids around! Ana stayed at my parents house...which meant I was woke up every day last week to Elsie excitedly saying, "come on, lets go see Oliver now!" As you can tell she kinda likes her cousins!

By the time bedtime came around all the kids could hardly keep their eyes open...they all played so hard! And they not only had "summer feet", they had "summer bodies!"...they were full of dirt, mud and sand! But they had so much fun...laughter could be heard wherever the kids were...the best sound ever...

I think there were close to 12 people in the house every day...more for dinner in the evenings. My children and I spent 2 nights there...because Elsie wanted to have a slumber party with Oliver and the aunties...and I would have gotten so board at home with out my girl...so James and I had to tag along! The more the merrier at my parents house...it is amazing how many you can fit in a house...some on couches, a few on the floor, a couple people in every bed...we make it work!

Sometimes I feel bad for my mom...I think she cooked more meals last week that anyone ever should in just one week! My mom likes an orderly house...but with several kids running around, the house was quite the opposite! I think my mom needs a vacation after last week! Mom...thanks for putting up with everyone, baby sitting so we could have some sister time and for all the meals...we would all be lost without you!!

Oliver and James...playing cars together. Someday Oliver, James and Gus will be good friends...they will probably get into plenty of mischief...and my son will probably be in the instigator! I love that Oliver things that James is a little baby who needs lots of hugs and kisses! James was quite interested in Gus, too...when we would say, "where is the baby?" James would look at Gus and smile...he did a good job to not poke his eyes out...even though he really, really wanted to!

Most of the week we were simply busy visiting...enjoying time together. Ana lives 4 hours away so our time together is precious...we make the most of the time when we are all together! Now that summer is here we always seem to see Ana more...in 2 weeks we will travel the 4 hours for Gus' baptism...then she and her children will come here again for the 4th of July celebration!

The week went by fast...we packed a lot into the week...a trip to visit Ceara in school, several shopping trips, a photo shoot, some garage saling, visiting great grandparents...but mostly just plenty of time enjoying being together. Nothing is better than family time...This is the kind of family life that Jon and I desire for our own family...

Blondie...

We keep a big wicker trunk in the dining room full of dress-up clothes...I think every child should have dress-up clothes...it keeps the imagination working in full-speed! I remember playing dress-up for hours and hours with my sisters when I was little. We would spend entire afternoons imagining we were pioneer girls...the basement steps were our covered wagon...in the summer we would take our dress-up play outside to the woods...so many "warm fuzzy" memories were created with the simple thing of a dress up trunk!
Almost daily Elsie digs something out of our dress up trunk...James is even starting to enjoy some of the boyish looking hats found in the trunk! We keep long dresses, old Halloween costumes, big floppy hats, magic wands, scarves...and the famous blond wig in our trunk!We bought this wig at a garage sale last fall...the best couple quarters ever spent!

Some days this wig turns Elsie into Taylor Swift...some days Barbie...some days I don't know what to expect...you never know who she will turn into the moment that dress up trunk opens up! I am so thankful my girl has a good imagination...with a good imagination she will always be happy, contented and creative!

Breakfast...

Elsie loves to help take care of her brother...she is going to be quite a mother someday! And her brother seems to love all the mothering from he gets from his sister...
Most mornings while I am getting the pancakes ready, James starts his breakfast with rice chex and some fruit. Elsie always seems to think it should be her duty to make sure James never runs out of fruit! She does a good job cutting the fruit up...Banana's are the easiest for her cut up...some of chunks get a little bit big but I think her brother rather likes it!

My hope for these two is that they can always rely on each other...to know that they will always be there for one another...nothing is sweeter than the bond between siblings...Big Sister...Little Brother...Perfect Harmony...

Embrace the Camera...On the Road...

My girl and me...Elsie is my best buddy! We do almost everything together...This girl is one of a kind! A tad dramatic, very funny and quite spunky...but very quiet and reserved when in a new situation. I love it when Elsie is playing house and she announces that her name is Shasta...makes me feel like I must be doing something right if she wants to be me!
Elsie says that she can't decide what she wants to be when she grows up...either a Mommy with 7 kids, a hair dresser or work at the grocery store...I always tell her she can be whatever she wants, but for now she has to be my little girl for as long as possible! As aggravating as her 3 year old stubbornness and never ending creativity can be at times , I don't know what I would do without my girl...She is perfect...in my opinion...and her Daddy would agree!