Happy New Year!

As we have every year, for as long as I can remember, we went to my aunt and uncles house in Coronado for their new year's eve party. It was a great time with food, drink and family and friends. With the children we only stay for a little while but they stay up and bring in the new year with dancing and having a great time. They have four wonderful daughters, one of whom watches the children when we are over. They love her. She plays with them and lets them explore in her room. She is wonderful.
Ben and Hannah played for a couple of hours with my cousin and her friend, running through the house, playing hide-and-seek and other games. They ran to get food and drink and then disappeared back upstairs until they 'needed' something else (like more chips or something). They called for other cousins to play 'monster' with them and they were chased around the house. They had a blast and needless to say they were very tired when we got in the car. They were a little grumpy (overtired) but all quieted down pretty quickly as we drove home.
Below is a picture of the kids as we pulled into the garage at 9:45pm.
Happy New Year!
The Monkey Family

My birthday...

Today we went to the Wild Animal Park for my birthday and the Festival of Lights. It was great fun! The kids had all napped so we were on our way! As we entered the park we were welcomed by little bubbles floating from the sky, like it was snowing. The kids thought that was very cool. We found lots of fun activities for the kids to do like making bird feeders, bracelets, holiday ornaments... and there was a snow hill. The line was crazy long and Noah was running wild so we skipped it (besides we noticed the sign said 4 and under and Hannah had no desire to do it!) We didn't get to see many animals because it was so dark but walking around was fun. We ate dinner in one of the eateries and they only had cookies for dessert. So I had birthday cookie instead of cake! Hannah really wanted me to have a birthday cake, I think she related it to birthdays and candles and singing...maybe next time!

Meals...

For meals, we serve the kids on plastic plates from IKEA. They come in two different shapes, oval and flower. Ben usually likes the oval ones and Hannah prefers the flower. Ben and Hannah have named the oval ones 'berry' plates since the others are flowers, why wouldn't they be berries? They look like berries. The plates come in a variety of colors too. Depending on their moods they will want the blue plate or the yellow one. Today I was making Hannah breakfast and asked her about the plate she wanted. It was a big decision for her. She had me open the cabinet and go through almost all of the plates to pick the one she wanted...the one that was on the top of the pile, of course. The one she chose made her happy.

No TV update...

We have not turned on the TV for the children for a few weeks. Actually that's a lie. We have turned it on, but not every morning, noon and night for them. We turn it on for 30 minutes at a time, when the kids have been behaving nicely or if they need a quiet time. We love it. The kids haven't asked for it. I thought this was going to be a problem but it turns out that it is all in my head. We eat together for each meal and talk. The kids play with all of their toys and the house is in a constant state of disorder and chaos but we can tell that they have been busy and having fun. For the most part, they play together nicely and we haven't had too many arguments. They aren't singing the tunes to TV shows all day long. Although they do still play Dora and Diego for a big portion of the day. They make their stories up. We think it is working out great. We're hoping that it will last :-)

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a very merry season whichever holiday you might celebrate!

The Monkey Family

bounce...

When Benjamin was little he loved to bounce (well, still does). When Corey would lie down on the floor Ben was quick to crawl over to him and swing his leg over his Dad's neck and bounce up and down. Every. Single. Time. But it was so funny that no one ever told him to stop. Now we have another son and he loves to bounce too. But this boy bounces on his big brother. And he loves it. Ben loves to be bounced on and Noah loves to be the bouncer. I believe we have reached a full circle.

Walking fun...

Last week we went walking with a group that meets weekly (our first time going) and it was a lot of fun! I met with some other Moms and my kids met up with their kids. We went to Chollas Lake, about 10 minutes from our house. There are two small playgrounds that the kids were looking forward to playing on. There is a small lake that is open to fishing only for children ages 16 and under. Ben is looking forward to going back for some fishing. It is a small loop around the lake, Ben and Hannah ran the entire loop two times! They must've needed to blow off some energy. Then they played hard after their run. Climbing, sliding, hanging, and of course eating snacks. Here are some pics of their fun.

On the monkey bars

Snacking in the slide

On the roof

Down the chimney

Potty learning...

Is it too early? I don't think so. Many people start even earlier than this. Besides, Noah asks for the "po" all the time so who am I to tell him no? Here we are in the midst of one of our sessions in the bathroom. Maybe he will be our early learner?! We all know how long it has taken our other children to learn...we deserve a break!!

Problem solved...

on their own!

A story: the other day I was nursing Noah to sleep and had told the older 2 to be quiet while I put him down. I wasn't 5 minutes into it and Noah was settling down that Hannah started to scream and cry at the table about something. Then Ben started to cry. They cried together while they explained to each other why and what about was wrong with what happened (I don't recall the actual reason). Two minutes later they stopped and continued with lunch and it was over. When Noah was good and asleep I went to them and asked them what happened. They explained and weren't upset with each other at all. It was so great to hear that they had solved the problem on their own, even though it had made both of them cry.

Tree...

We started getting ready for the holidays and today we went to get our tree. In past years we have gone at night to get the feel of the chill in the air and have it feel a little bit more like Christmas (since most of the year San Diego is warm). This year it has been quite chilly during the day so we went during the daylight hours and we were able to really see the trees. The kids were so excited about picking out the tree. They ran around crazy, hiding in the trees playing a quick game of peek-a-boo with each other. No one minded. We picked out the tree but Ben had another in mind...the enormous one that was about 10 feet tall. He always goes for the biggest of everything these days, and hands the smallest to Hannah and the tiniest to Noah. Because that is how it is ranked in this family. The oldest gets the most, so I guess I get the most :-) Anyway, we bought our tree (not Bens) and took it home. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

Old-Fashioned Christmas fun...

Tonight we went to La Mesa's Old Fashioned Christmas. Boy was it fun! We have been going for about 6 or 7 years and every year it gets better. We met some friends and family and cruised up and down the main road. There are antique shops and lots of stuff for the kids to do and be involved in-puppet shows, giant slides, sitting on Santa's lap, merry-go-rounds, llama rides and such... Noah spotted the horse and carriage going up and down the street and jumped and squealed every time. He wouldn't let go of his 2 rakes the entire night (you can see one in the picture below). Ben and Hannah wanted to try everything they saw. They said that it was like DragonTales and they loved it. On our way home, they were already talking about what they want to do next year.

Ben on the dragon ride

Hannah looks frightened and Ben is in heaven

Hannah...again looks terrifed and Ben...well he's LOVING it!

(Hannah had a smile on her face soon after this picture)

Hannah, Noah and I with Santa

Ben is tuckered out

Static...

Gosh has it been dry!?! Every time we go to the park the kids get a shock from my fingers after they go down the slide or play for a while.I don't think that they can feel it...either that or they know how to ignore it. I just can't wait for the weather to even out around here!

I love it when the kids' hair gets all wild, it makes me smile and it's crazy to get a picture. And all the while, the kids...well they don't know what the big deal is!

Noah with static hair

Static is the theme over at Mama Says Om this week.

No TV...

For a variety of reasons, we decided to stop letting the kids watch TV in our house. Today was the first day of it and I think it went well! Ben was very disappointed when we said that we weren't turning the TV on today but recovered from it pretty quickly. They played nicely and stayed busy all day. Our goal is to keep the TV off during the week and maybe let them watch a bit on the weekends.

While I was cooking dinner tonight, I sensed that the kids were missing TV....here's what gave me that thought:

Rain...

So it looks like Fall has decided to show up...finally! Today it rained for about 3 hours and the air is chilly. It wasn't pouring down but more of that annoying in between rain that couldn't decide what it really wanted to do. But still it kept us indoors for most of the day today.

When we went out this afternoon, it was like I was letting the wild animals out after years of being cooped up. They went straight into the garage for their big wheels and tricycles and got busy racing each other up and down the block, Noah running after them. Ben zooming by barely missing toes. And Hannah dancing around wildly. We let them play outdoors until the sun went down and they couldn't see anymore.

It makes me thankful for not living where it rains a lot!

Beekers....

Here they are...the family of Beekers that Ben made today. He found some pipe cleaners somewhere and he got creating! I think he did an excellent job :-)

Front left to right: Ben, Noah and Hannah

Grumpy...

We have noticed that the day after a party or a day with extended family that our children are grumps and not fun to be around at all! They argue, argue and argue, cry and pull toys away from each other, don't listen to directions from us (nor anyone else), are tired and pitch fits that last a long time. We don't like these days.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for my little family. I love them so much. They entertain and give me joy every day. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and three beautiful children. My husband is my love, he plays with the kids, reads them books, changes dirty diapers, and wipes snotty noses. My free-spirited fun-loving five year old monkey, Ben loves to climb, tie knots and assemble things in different ways-usually his way. My thoughtful adorable daughter, three year old Hannah, is a joy and a love with her pretend play, her babies, songs and dances. And my one year old chunky monkey, Noah stomps around, sides steps, kicks balls and loves to follow all of us around. I look forward to going through our lives together for many many years to come. I'm sure there will be bumps and bruises as we travel the road called life but we will always have each other to help pick one another up. I love them!!

Thanksgiving count-down...

Ben and Hannah are so excited about Thankgiving and keep asking when it will be. I think they are more excited about seeing and playing with their cousins than they are about eating the turkey. They are pretty good at telling when a day will be here with how many day and night naps have gone by, or will go by. So, again there is a count-down ...this time it's to Thanksgiving at Delaney's house. Right now we have 2 day naps and one night nap to go...

Internal clocks...

We go to the park several times a week. We have to get out of the house during the day or else there is total chaos in the house. So, the kids get fresh air and sun, they play, they run with each other and some friends. They dig in the dirt, sand or woodchips. They have tons of fun. They stop every once in a while for a snack or a drink of water and check in with me. And it is always amazing to me that in the midst of all of this fun that they come to me at noon (give or take a few minutes) and ask if it is time to go home. This is when I check the time and... well...it is time to go home for lunch and naps. I guess we have left at noon so many times that they are programmed to leave at that time.

New discovery...

I was going through some of the toys on the shelves in the play room this afternoon, to make room for the new toys that Ben and Noah got for their birthdays. The big Christmas season of giving and receiving is coming up too, so we need room for new stuff. I found an unopened box of books with a CD and a tape! The books are about Winnie the Pooh and are perfect for Ben. I think he got this as a gift when he was 2 years old. I think he is finally old enough to read the story along with the tape. So we put the tape into the stereo and started to play one of the stories (there are 3 books). Ben really got into it. Corey went in and asked him (or maybe it was a statement) about what he was doing "Oh, are you reading?" to which Ben replied "Yeah the TV is telling the story!"

So, I do think he is ready for books on tape, they certainly will help in the car for those long drives that we do...once a year!

A morning with Daddy...

Today (well, this week), Corey has off from work. So he took the kids to the zoo this morning. He hadn't been in a while and since we have been going fairly often recently he thought he'd take them. They took him to see the naked mole rats which I'm sure he loved. They also saw the mouse house which really caught their attention last time we were there too. I didn't hear about any other animals that they saw. I'm assuming because these two were the highlights of the trip. And to tell you the truth...after the last time we went to the zoo Ben and Hannah couldn't stop talking about those two rodents also. Can't argue with them...they are worth talking about!

New chairs...

Today we re-covered our dining room chair cushions. The kids were so excited about it but all they could do was watch. We had the staple gun out with scissors and screwdrivers. Ben and Hannah love to help but it was just not going to work for them today. The cushions were so dirty-yes, white with almost 8 years of dirt and grime on them. It was time for a change. So...here they are!

Before-yuck...so dirty!

After :-)

Brotherly love...

Just look at these boys! They just love each other sooo much! Ben and Noah sitting in a box enjoying each others company...fun times!

A love of books...

I know I have mentioned this before. :-)

Noah loves books. Here we are reading together with Ben (who also loves books) about the baby in the bath. Noah picks books up at all times of the day. He wants to learn all about the animals or about what the babies are doing. He is such a bookworm...already! Isn't it great?

Too big...

For some reason Ben really likes these cars. He loves to get in them and drive them around, open the doors, turn the steering wheel, honk the horn. He has liked them since he was very little and couldn't 'drive' it on his own. Maybe it's the tight space he's in...

Well now it seems that he is getting too big for these cars. So sad...

Doesn't he look like he's having fun?

Shovelling...

We do a lot of yard work and much of it involves shovels...digging holes for plants, digging up dead plants, digging holes for play, digging holes for fence posts... work around the house and garden is never done. Ben and Hannah help out with the digging too. They have shovels for their work around the house. Noah is a smart boy and watches us work hard with our digging. Here he is as he is doing a little work of his own around the back yard. He actually puts his foot on the shovel like we do and ... well loses his balance, but he has the technique down right!

grand opening...

Over the weekend one of my many cousins opened his shop doors here in San Diego. He owns a printing and graphics company in town and they had the grand opening Saturday night. What a fun time! We took the kids and met up with most of our families there. My brother catered the night and it was delicious. The kids had fun. They found a ladder that led to upstairs (they didn't go up there, like many of you know how much they would've loved to go and explore) and had fun climbing it up and down while they ate corn on the cob. Ben even maneuvered a way that was a bit more challenging and turned a chain into a 'cable' to keep him safe in case he fell. And he needed his headlamp to see.

Ben and Hannah and their cousin Marissa

Ben suspended

Shopping...

Every week, sometimes twice a week I go grocery shopping by myself and often to 2 or 3 different stores. I would take the kids with me but I get it done so much faster without them around. I know how it benefits children to go and how much they love it, but still I go alone. Most of the time. A couple times a month Hannah decides (as I'm putting the keys in the ignition) that she would like to go along. She gives me the puppy dog eyes, her bottom lip starts to frown and quiver like seconds before she cries and says "I want to go". So off she goes to get her clothes on or her shoes or her purse and into the carseat she sits. She sings all the way. Different songs for different days. Today the song was about numbers in Spanish in a sing songy tune.

Hannah loves grocery shopping. She has a bounce in her step throughout the store and is talk talk talking the entire time. She has Mommy's undivided attention time and is a mighty big helper. The other shoppers are quite amused by her energy as they dodge her quick steps in the aisles. She has been to the stores enough times that she is getting to know where the products are and which ones she can pick up herself. She's such a big girl.

It's nice to have a shopping companion/helper.

Baby talk....

Hannah: "di di manoook badeee beee"

...

Hannah: "dibalookee maaamaa"

...

Hannah: "Mommy, didn't you hear me? I want a glass of milk!"

Me: "Oh...no I didn't hear you. You were making funny noises with your mouth."

(I give her the glass of milk.)

...

Hannah: "daabaaka lloookeee"

I guess that's thank you?

Yep, baby talk is the norm these days...another phase, I hope.

First pictures...

Ben got a digital camera for his birthday from his Granny and GranDad. This one. Very nice, kid-proof and kid-tough. Anyone who knows Ben knows that kid-tough is important. Ben has been having a blast taking pictures for the past few days. He puts the camera to his face or aims it towards his target and shoots. He does this so fast that sometimes he doesn't get the picture right...or maybe it is right? I think that he'll be getting a little bit of guidance from his "camera happy" Mom.
Here are some of his first pictures (some of the ones with people and their faces)!

Hannah, Granny and Marissa

Hannah...up close

Marissa and Auntie Heather

Little teachers....

I love how Ben and Hannah are listening to and learning from us about how to teach a baby. Noah is so interested in the world around him and wants to learn about it now. He wants us to read to him, showing him the pictures in the books and pointing to all the details. We talk to him and show him different signs so that he can learn to sign different words. We never did signs with the Ben and Hannah so it is new to all of us and we are kind of doing our own thing with it. Ben and Hannah are interested in the signs too so we've pulled out the sign language book and taught them a few signs too.

So every so often during the day I will hear Ben or Hannah (taking turns teaching) repeating a word or short phrase to Noah in hopes that he will just blurt it out. "Ap-ple, Noah, ap-ple, Noah this is an ap-ple, can you say ap-ple? Ap-ple, ap-ple, ap-ple..." Ben will say. Hannah will do her own version of this with another word such as "up" or "ball" or "truck". Noah has picked up a few words along the way. It is amazing that such little people can be so perceptive and receptive to pick up on a strategy like that. They are born little teachers! It's wonderful.

Happy Birthday Ben!

Birthday boy!

Ben celebrated his official birthday today. He was so excited, now he can say that he is FIVE! Ben is a spirited boy who keeps us on our toes all day. He loves to tie knots, create one of a kind creations, play games, invent games, pretend play all day, snuggle with us, learn new things, chase his sister around, giggle, laugh, have fun...

It has been such an adventure having him in our lives. For the first few months after his birth and bringing him home from the hospital, we would jokingly say "when are his parents coming to pick him up?" and have since adjusted to having him in our house along with his siblings. He takes us on an adventure every day whether it be a story in the car about how the monsters are following us or a tale about what the rope is doing tied like that in the tree. He is full of stories and we love him for all of them. I couldn't imagine life without him. I love you Ben!

Happy Birthday Ben!

Secret...

Hannah, Noah and I went to the zoo today. Ben and Daddy went on a bike ride together. We were going shopping for Ben at the zoo store. Hannah wanted to buy him a baby jaguar for his birthday. We had checked at Toys R Us and they didn't have any. So instead of running all around town, we went to the zoo. Hannah is a great secret-keeper. She has been keeping his present idea a secret for several weeks. She wouldn't even tell him where we were going because he would have a clue about his present.

We went in and saw the flamingos and ducks at the entrance (can't go to the zoo without seeing any animals!) and Noah went wild quacking at them and trying to climb into the enclosure with them. We watched them for a long time and then set off for the stores. We found just the right one and went back to watch the flamingos and ducks for a bit more.

Hannah really wanted to tell Ben that we went to the zoo today but she didn't. She hid the bag of gifts in my closet so he won't find them until the morning. We'll wrap them up for him tomorrow and hope that he loves his new baby jaguar.

Hannah bought herself something too (she had some Halloween money) a baby cheetah! So now the baby jaguar and the baby cheetah will play together.

First words...

for Noah. He is starting to talk and do lots of different signs. Time is going by so fast. His favorite sign is "more" and he loves to say "car" with the noise of a motor running, as well as "Dada" and "Mama". It is just blowing my mind how fast he is growing!

Apple pie...

You might remember that we went apple picking a few weekends ago. We had so many apples from that day! Today we finally got to make an apple pie (some apples were going bad). The kids loved the apple peeler-corer that we have and wanted to do all the apples that we have in the kitchen. So we got busy in the kitchen today...yes, you may call us the Martha Stewarts on Burgundy Street!

"Piiiiiieeee!!!"

All done! Doesn't it look yum?!

Giggles and tickles...

for Noah with 'tiger Daddy'...

Delight...

Hannah is so delighted that she has her new Elmo. He comes with us everywhere and mostly stays in the car when we go places because she doesn't want him to get dirty, lost or played with by someone else. She says, "He is nice and clean and fluffy and I like him that way." So I was surprised the other day when he came to the park and again today she took him into the sand. She wasn't bothered by it either. I guess she's getting used to having him around again that she is more comfortable having him 'play' with her.

Halloween...

Today is Halloween and so far it was one of the most anticipated days of the year (besides birthdays or our Lundy Lake trip). Unlike many kids our kids don't like to dress up in their costumes for days and days and days before the day that they are supposed to dress up. They like to do it just for the few hours to go trick or treating and then they are done...until next year. Last year, Hannah was a pink kitty and Ben was a T-Rex dinosaur and Noah was a little ghost. This year, Ben and Hannah dressed up the same...pink kitty and T-Rex dinosaur, but Noah was a dalmation.

So, Marissa came over with her Mommy and Ryan and we had dinner before going out on the town. (I had to get some real food in them before they gorged on sugar). We walked down two blocks and around those two blocks only. It took us about an hour and when we got home the kids pumpkins were full to the rim with candy (Ben's handle actually snapped in half from the weight!) They ran (seriously ran) from house to house that we had to run also. Only at the corners did they stop to wait for us old folks to catch up.

When we got home they poured their candy out and got to choose 10 pieces that they wanted to keep to eat and then we put the pumkins outside on the back patio for the great pumpkin. He was going to eat all the candy and give them a present for it. My kids were all excited about that. Who could be upset about getting a present? We just didn't want all that candy staring at them (and us) for the next three months. We'll see how it goes over tomorrow....

The trick-or-treat crew

More party pics here...

Halloween birthday...

We celebrated Ben turning 5 and Noah turning 1 today with a bunch of our family and close friends. There were so many people in our house celebrating with us! It was great fun! We had a clown, Thomas the Tank Engines, James, 2 T-Rex dinosaurs, a panda bear, a Moroccan, a lion, some jaguars, guests from movies like Cars and the Incredibles, a pumpkin, a dog, a cat...and I'm sure that I forgot some. Some parents dressed up too! The kids had a blast. We had painted rocks orange and white for the guests to decorate as pumpkins and ghosts to take home to their house as decorations. We bobbed for apples, searched for skeletons and jumping frogs, pinned the nose on Elmo and opened lots and lots of presents. Overall it wiped us out and the kids had fun! We missed those of you who couldn't make it...maybe next year!?

Hannah decorating a pumpkin

Ben bobbing for apples
Thomas serenading his Mom

Wicked Witch, Cowardly Lion and Tin Man

The mountain of presents

Happy Birthday Noah!

Today is Noahs 1st birthday! He had such a great day. It started with my singing him a happy birthday song when he woke up. He loved it and jiggled his belly up and down as he sat in bed then flopped his head onto my chest. We got up and read some books on the floor. Then we went to the park and he played hard. He loves the sand. Shoveling it, grabbing it in his chubby fingers or just plain ole throwing his body down in it. All of those work for him. He tried some sugar snap peas and celery for a snack. He didn't take much of a nap but that might be because he has a cold and the weather is wierd.

So since he was awake, we went to the backyard and found some airplanes in the sky. He was surprised to see them in the sky...and not in his books! He kept looking for them flying overhead. Ah... a new discovery! We read books, books, and more books in the afternoon. We drove around for a bit (hoping he'd fall asleep) only to come home with him not sleeping. He played around with Daddy when he got home and before we knew it the day was almost over. Noah got his first taste of carrot cake (in cupcake form) but didn't really dive into it. He kept eating the dinner pieces that were still on the tray.

Happy Birthday Noah! We love you!

Apple-pickers...

We went to Julian today for a little apple-picking! It was a blast! Heather and her kids came along too. Ben and Hannah love Marissa so they had fun running around with her. They told us to only pick a half bag but it was really hard to stop the kids from picking! (Besides...we drove for almost 2 hours to get there...with stops) We ended up with a bunch of beautiful apples, green and red and bi-colored. I have to find out the name of the apples but they were all so delicious. Crunchy, sweet or tart, big or little, all were so tasty. We even found some pear trees and picked a few of them too. The apples were falling off the trees in gobs landing at our feet in heaps, we were slogging through them as we picked. It took a bit of concentration to not twist my ankles!We stopped at a point where everyone seemed to stop and take pictures and tasted some of the apples. Ben and Hannah love apples but never with the peel on. Today they just crunched through a few right there proving to me that they will eat apples without peanut putter!!

Ben, Hannah and Marissa posing with their friends

Hannah munching on an apple in the orchard.

Noah finds all kinds of apples.

Ben finding some apples in the tree

Tons of apples under each apple tree!

Not bad for a day of apple-picking...well an hour or so...(see the pear?)

Elmo (part 2)...

We got online today (afer 2 failed trips to 2 stores) to search for a new Elmo doll. He has to be the exact same one that she had (we bought him almost 3 years ago and the version is not in the stores anymore). We found a couple of online stores that will ship him to our house and I think Hannah likes that she will be getting a new Elmo. I'm sure she'll be asking if the mailman brought Elmo yet...until he gets here.

Corey retraced last nights drive home this morning and found Elmo...but he is a little hurt. His eyes are missing and he looks a bit beat up (by wheels, I'm sure). When he got home from work this afernoon he took Hannah, Ben and I to the car to show us. Hannah held her hands together in front of her and was distraught. She didn't want him anymore, didn't even want to touch him. She was on the verge of tears. She told Corey to put him back in the car. We'll hold on to him just in case she changes her mind in a few days.

The story about Elmo...

When Hannah was about 10 months old Ben, Hannah and I went to Babies R Us for a little shopping. We had a few things to buy (a supply of diapers or wipes probably--with 2 in diapers then) and time to browse for things we didn't really need. I headed to the toys section in hopes to find something that would occupy either or both while in the store. We found Elmo. Hannah was in love and never let him down the entire time we were in the store.

So we bought him.

He has been a part of our lives for such a long time, he's practically family. We have since received gifts of Elmo in a Halloween costume, Hokey Pokey Elmo, Silly Parts Elmo, Elmo this and Elmo that but Elmo doll has remained "the one true love" for Hannah. Hannah sleeps with Elmo, nurses Elmo, rocks Elmo and cares for Elmo as if he were her baby (even though we have many dolls-he is "the one"). She loves to watch him on TV too, we even have many of the videos to choose from and take with us.

Lately Elmo's name has changed to "Boots" because Hannah is also infatuated with Dora the Explorer. We take him everywhere and when she brings him along but doesn't feel like sharing him with others he stays in the car, waiting for her return. He takes a ride in the stroller when we go for walks, he flies in the air for fun, he hangs in the tree (because he's a monkey--well Boots is), he eats dinner with us and shares Hannah's sleep right next to her in bed. Needless to say that he is a part of our family.

Today, Elmo helped Hannah pop bubbles in the back yard, he took a nap with her and then went to the playground with her, Ben, Noah and Corey. On their way home from the park, Ben and Hannah were looking forward to having dinner but still continued to play their imaginary games for the car ride home. Ben grabbed Elmo and threw him out the car window. Hannah shrieked and started to cry. Elmo was propelled into a dangerous area of the street so Corey couldn't reach him, couldn't park the car to even try. So they came home, Hannah in tears but Ben had a solution...he would buy her another at the store.

Such is the sad story of our dear friend Elmo.

More to come...

29...

POUNDS is how much Noah weighs today. Ack! I was wondering why my back is always aching! He was doing a little stomp-dance on the scale today (while watching himself in the mirror) and I really tried to get a picture of him on the scale...but it was impossible with all that moving around! Anyway, I think Hannah weighs in around 31 pounds (I'll have to get her on the scale soon) so they are about the same! Noah will be ONE year old in one week form today!!

Butter...

We made butter today! I had read that all you needed was cream or milk, a container and a marble to help mix it. So we got all the ingredients, poured the cream into the jar along with the marble and started to shake. We each took turns (the kids got tired after a while) kept peeking in to see what was happening inside-didn't look like much, but I'm sure alot was happening-and about 20 minutes later voila! Butter! It was very cool, very easy and the kids really liked tasting along the way. ....OH! And it is dee-licious!

Ben and Hannah (Noah in the background) holding the butter and the buttermilk!

The butter and container we used to shake it up!

Pssstt...Hey Bitsy Bunting...notice the Tupperware we used for this? :-)

Books...

We read books to the kids every night. Each one goes and picks out their books and most nights all they want to read is stories from the Bible. Noah has caught on to our nightly routine and goes in search of books for us to read to him. He picks out all kinds of books and brings them to us. He loves the books with real pictures of animals. He runs to get the books and ‘talking’ all the way. He growls at the tigers and bears, squeaks at the cats and chicks, turns the pages back and forth, and back and forth with excitement and anticipation for what he will find on the next page. I think we have a little reader on our hands!

Ducks...

We went to the zoo today (we are trying to make it a weekly event). Noah was enthralled with the ducks, or as he says “kuh”. We stayed by the flamingos for about 45 minutes and watched the ducks. Last week it felt like we raced through the zoo to see lots of animals. So today we took our time and hung out by the flamingos, the hippos, the raptors, and the giraffes. It was so nice to take our time and see what the animals do over a longer segment of time as opposed to the 'fly-by' that we usually do. We can't wait until next week!

Noah and Hannah watching the ducks

The mama & baby girl hippos posing together