Easter Happiness

Easter at the farm: Daddy's been busy boiling down 90 more gallons of Maple sap, Mommy's been sick with a stomach flu for 4 days running, and the kiddos are hanging in there spending extended nights and naps in their cribs when Daddy is at work or outside. We obviously didn't make it to Church, or anywhere else... praying for a resurrection of health in this house! We are happy for the sunshine & thank you God for delivering your Son.

Coloring Easter Eggs

Easter Basket Hunt was Successful

Easter Egg Hunt

Examining the Baskets

Playing with Stickers


Loving her Elmo Booties

Through the Snow to Grandma's House

Grandma 's 1st Day with Our Boy

Lulu & Lou-Lou at Cousin's Home










Tummy Time for Two... or Three

The First of he Party Dress Series

Random Days in April

A Ride for Bear

Boots & A Necklace for Dolly

I don't know how she managed to get the linking ring around her Dolly's neck, neither of the adults in the house participated in the activity and agree that the rings are hard to get around smaller circumferences, so we are impressed.

Sweet Boy
We couldn't have an easier child!

Helping Mom with Chores

I gave her free rein to to scooper and cat food while I cooked her breakfast. Needless to say the cats were happy but waiting for her to move away from their dishes.

Kiddos

Lulu is now 22 mos, and Leo 8 weeks. I am not sure where time goes... I think somewhere between changing clothes, diapers, naps, feeding the family and cleaning up it's hard to remember to take a break and revel in the beauty that is their childhood passing by at the speed of light.

Sharing a Room

The set up for 2 babies, it's tight... and not functional for long, but I think it'll work for us until June/July.

New teeth coming in... eye teeth on the top are 1/2 way out, and the bottom are just under the gums.

Lulu's Billy Idol face. Showing off her bracelets.

Leo starting to hold his head up well... getting ready for the Bumbo.

Time at Home

She still likes to play the piano... and sometimes Daddy's too.

She has found a new friend in Elmo... they color, eat & talk all day long. She was carrying him around like a baby with a pacifier in his mouth Thu other day. Elmo has lead her to the joys of Sesame Street... and I swear she's learning Spanish! Sometimes she answers yes by saying "Si."

I love this photo. She had just come in from sledding down the hill in back of our house with her Daddy... her attire consists of her favorite boots (size 9), has worn them since her feet were a 4, and her sunglasses upon her wreck of a hairdo that totally reminds me of her Daddy after a long afternoon skiing. Notice our wreck of a living room that is that way daily from 7am - 9pm. Drives me nuts but she has a lot of fun, and gets upset when I clean up after her.

She's growing so quickly, already in a 3T... and she'so smart using 2-3 word phrases... except when angry!

New Projects

I'm going to chalk these things up to things that seem easy but for whatever reason I found the problems.

Nursing Bracelet
First I made several bracelets the one I intended, one for Lulu, and one with beads Jessica gave me. Initially I wanted something a bit more neutral than this blog I saw these bracelets on I couldn't find number beads but so figured big beads I could count the beads and that would work, but after trying it for a few days discovered that the numbers were necessary. Counting is way over rated! I found beads and Ric-rack in Wadena but only plastic beads, so I decided to make something fun instead. I put it together at 11pm last night when I got Leo put to sleep, and started assembling the bracelet layout backwards (12, 11, 10, 9, etc...) as it tuns out that makes the numbers run counter clockwise which doesn't work (or at least not or me). In my tired state I had put in the 1-0 in a 0-1 configuration on accident, and a number like 5 backwards. This morning I fixed it.

Baby Burp Cloth
During Lulu & Leo's nap I paid bills, looked for my address list to send announcements, ate a PB&J, cleaned out the frig and started on the burp clothes. Some of the rules I learned from Nana while in town, was ALWAYS iron... so I quickly set up the ironing board, turned on the iron and ironed the cloth diaper and flannel. I rushed to my sewing machine and started to sew on the Ric-rack... hmmm, no one said sewing a straight line would have been an issue. Oh well practice will make perfect. I also learned the hard way that pre-washing diapers was not the best idea because now my ends bow inward... oh well, first project since the 7th grade!

Pajamas
We've been having bedtime problems with Lulu. She seems to only like the footie pj's. All of which were dirty the other night, so I got a 5T from brother's closet (bought it at a bargain the day I found out we were having a boy) she looked at them a little disappointed but I convinced her to wear them because she'd be the same color as Elmo... her new favorite stuffed animal, 10 minute video, and Sesame Street character. Anyhow, when she woke up the next morning she tugged on the pj's saying "Elmo" and wouldn't let me get her dressed at first. I eventually convinced her that she can wear red fleece pants and a red turtle neck to still look like Elmo, but she still insisted on wearing the pj's so I put her arms in the holes leaving it unzipped and tied the legs 2x behind her like coat tails. That did the trick and eventually she took the pj's off for a coat to leave the house.

Old Routine

It seems we are back to the same ol' routine, which is good for Lulu. The Book Limiter* and Lulu were reading 4 books before bed... Momma lets her read as many as she wants as long as she actually lets me read.

She's been battling bedtime these days, and putting on PJ's has been a struggle. Turns out she only wants to wear those 'footie' PJ's. Well, unfortunately all were dirty tonight so I dug through brother Leo's closet and found this 5T, which are clearly too big for her... but she's now fitting in a 3T, crazy.

Oh Boy- I am SO Excited!

Momma's Little Helper

Two are Better Than One

See... Two Really are Better Than One

Tata & My Babies

Little Leo Enjoying the Swing

Lulu... Enjoying All the Time Home with Momma and My Folks

Checkout Day ... so sad for Momma
Double the Swinging

Oh So Adorable Easter Hat from Tata

Well it was great having my mom and dad around! I was sad to see them go, but I knew the end was coming. Now I have been figuring out how to do it on my own... it's been a bumpy start, but not miserable.

So my SO EXCITING news is that I have sold ALL my bisque and glazes, and miscellaneous other items from my pottery studio!!! Oh what a great day! I can't wait to meet the owners of the pottery store and help load up the items and clear the way for a smaller studio and more storage space for our family of 4!

Party In My Crib

I don't know how she gets comfortable but she's happy and that is what's important. I go in and remove 1/2 of them every night. The Critic* says that's probably why she has nightmares, waking up to 1/2 her friends gone.

All dressed up, and with a bow in her hair! Growing up too fast! She's growing her upper cuspids, starting to use 2 word sentences, and singing along to songs (just a every couple words she sings one)... one of her favorite songs is Happy Birthday (too cute)!

Water... always drinking from my cup... but she keeps it full of love.

Lulu spending a little time goofing off with Nana, but refusing to smile.

(outfit from Joanne & Grandma)

Little Leo staring, smiling and cooing at Nana.

(outfit from Tata)