Oh dear, Now we are really in trouble!

Lucy is mobile. I thought that she was just rolling to places that she wanted to get to. Now she is army crawling. She is the strongest baby I have had yet. I am sure that she feels the burning need to keep up with the big brothers but she could have waited a few more months in my opinion. Today she pulled forward to her tummy and did the army crawl to get a toy about a body length away. She is really cute while she does it though. She gets up on her elbows, digs her toes in and heaves away. I am really in trouble now! It is only a short matter of time before it is hands and knees crawling. And then pulling up. And then walking. I don't want to think about it. She was just a baby two seconds ago I swear.

Ready for Kindergarten

In my opinion there are two life skills that every child should know how to do by the time they reach kindergarten.

#1 Take care of themselves in the bathroom. No help wiping allowed! I mean really, what teacher or para-educator wants to deal with some other kids tushy!

#2 Be able to tie there own shoes or if not able to then have the parental buy Velcro for goodness sake! Andrew outgrew his shoes this week and we went to the store to go and find him some. Eric and I came to the agreement that we would give independent shoe tying a try this summer in hopes that he would be able to do it by the time school started. Andrew has always had amazing hand/eye coordination and finger dexterity. Beyond his age level normally so we figured that shoe tying wouldn't be beyond his skill set. Boy were we right! After only 3 days of working with him Andrew can now officially tie his own shoes!

I am very proud of him and I know that all adults he comes into contact with will appreciate it next year as well.

My mom works at an elementary school and her rule on shoe tying is that if you are in kindergarten you get a free pass. First graders and older must go and find a friend or figure it out! No worries for Andrew on that front at least!

Biter Bars!

Lucy has been doing so well with the cereal and sitting I thought I would giver her a biter bar to try. I honestly didn't think that she would eat any of it but to my surprise she did. Those things are goopy and messy but I think she felt like she was a big girl. The boys and I ate otter pops and Lucy had her biter bar. Soon she will not need me to do the feeding for her and what a wonderful day that will be. Spoon feeding babies is not my favorite thing!

Making it work with Zane

Zane is my difficult child. Not only is he the one who is stubborn and ornery most of the time, he is also the least affectionate of my kids. Even when he was a tiny baby he didn't really seem to like being held. As soon as he was able to do things independently he refused help. He must be way past the end of his rope to ask for help now. Because of all this he and I have had a difficult time. I just don't know what to do with him half the time and it seems as though just being a stinker is his favorite activity. But in the last few days we have been making progress. I will ask him if he wants me to do criss-cross applesauce on his back and he almost always says yes. This ultimately fulfills my need for him to snuggle (he will sit on my lap while I do it) and it seems to fulfill his need for attention. We also play a game where he "roars" at me like a lion. "Scares" me and makes me cry until he hugs me to get me to stop. Then the process starts all over. It seems like he is in more agreeable spirits after a few rounds though and not quite as into everything. Zane wants attention and he goes about getting it in a very naughty way. I get to be more creative in my play with him too. We are making it work but my thinker is getting a definite workout!

Girls Night!

Tonight Lucy and I had our first girls night. Eric took the boys to the dad's camping weekend with our men's group at church. I am sure they are having a great time. Once they take off I never hear from them until the next day. I guess it is kinda nice to have some time with just Lucy. She and I went to a tea at Jeanette's house and then to Penny's for some good girl chatting. It was fun. I feel like my house is empty of people but it was still nice. I am sure I will hear some stories from the guys tomorrow!

One Watermelon to Another

It's been 6 months since this
(Looking like I have a watermelon under my shirt)

and now I have a little watermelon to love!

Lucy is officially 6 months old today. Time has flown! Outfit is courtesy of Sara. Isn't Lucy just precious!

Gumby sleeper

I do not know how this could possibly be comfortable but this is how I found Lucy sleeping this afternoon. She is getting so squirmy it is hard to keep her in one spot. If I slept like this my neck would be stiff for a week. Oh to be a baby again!

Me Ol' Alma Mater!

Sunday our family left for good ol' Ellensburg to visit our dear friends Daren and Sara. They live most of the year in Japan but spend summer in Ellensburg with Sara's parents so we headed there to visit. Daren and Eric were off to the hills to do a little backwoods male bonding. (Translation: Starving in the woods under the assumption that they are going to catch some fish and find some berries. All while hiking for miles, sleeping in a tent, sweating and talking "man-talk") Anyway, Sara and I planned for a little more R&R. The kids played in the warm afternoon sun and we got some girl-talk in. Lots of fun!

Monday I desperately wanted to take a peek at my ol' alma mater, Central Washington University and stop by and see some friends from my student job. It was fun to be on campus and see all the new buildings and all the old things that looked the exact same. It is funny how time changes but stands still at a college. I missed it. I tried to show Andrew where I had worked and lived and hung out. Shockingly he was uninterested. Bummer. I am trying to plant the Wildcat seed early!

We did stop and play in the ground fountains by Barge Hall and Shaw-Smyser. The kids thought it was fun and I was once again whisked back on memory lane!




This morning we had to go and meet Daren and Eric and go home. It was a fun but short weekend! Hopefully I will get to back and tour the campus again some more some day. I am such a nerd!

Proof that Lucy Sits

I have mentioned before that Lucy is doing much better with the sitting bit than I gave her credit for. Here she is, photo proof!

Slip and Slide Mania!

My mom bought Andrew a slip and slide for his birthday. The weather cooperated and we were able to use it this week! Andrew was awesome on it. He thought it was tons of fun.



Zane surprised us all by loving it. He didn't seem to mind the water in his eyes from the sprinkler part of it.



Eric watched the kids for about 2 minutes before declaring that he needed to get in on that fun too. He determined that slip and slides are not designed for those in the over 6 foot set. It was quite the short slide and he was paranoid that he was going to end up in the street. The little pool at the end of the slide was no match for the reality of a sliding Eric.

Project Completed!

After a very long thinking and planning process I am pleased to present the name letters for my kids rooms. I have been intending to do this project since we moved in to this house. I am not the most prompt person (we have been living here for almost 2 years!) but it is finally done. All except for one "A" that the store was short. Fortunately when they get it in I will be able to finish it in only a few hours (drying time included). Now to get them hung on their walls!

My Kids

From Joanna's blog(http://raisinglittleallinsons.blogspot.com/), I've been tagged.

Here is how it goes...
1. Link your tagger and list the rules on the blog.
2. Share 7 facts about your kiddos on your blog…random, weird, funny…whatever you want!
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post

Andrew
1. Amazingly tough when it comes to shots. Does not cry as long as he knows he is getting one that day.
2. Super Helper! with all tasks
3. Loves to play video games, especially his Cars playstation game
4. Thinks that typing on an empty word document is the best fun ever.
5. Super slip and slider!
6. Braver than me when it comes to roller coasters
7. Can not wait until kindergarten starts!

Zane
1. Still not potty trained or showing any indication that he ever wants to be out of diapers. Regardless of the bribe involved.
2. Sweetest little grin, especially when being naughty
3. Loves his Lovey and Thomas the choo choo train. That is it. Eric and I are both apparently out of his good graces.
4. Desperate to start swimming lessons
5. Loves Andrew and follows him constantly
6. Is a big boy when it comes to playing with other kids but insists he is still a little boy the rest of the time
7. Still figuring out the whole jealousy thing when it comes to Lucy. Sometimes he pinches her for no apparent reason at all

Lucy
1. Slept for 12, you read it right, hours last night. Thought I had entered heaven!
2. Is HUGE in comparison to the babies I saw yesterday.
3. So happy all the time. Only fusses when hungry or tired
4. Loves her toes. She sucks on them all the time!
5. Follows her brothers around with her eyes constantly. She is going to terrorize them I am sure.
6. Eats cereal like a champ
7. Can sit up much better than I give her credit for. I tried putting her up yesterday and she sat unassisted for about 10 seconds. Hmmmmmm I guess I should start putting her down like that more often.

I tag Jen, Kelly and Tracie! Well, that is us! Have fun with your own lists. I can't wait to read them.

CheckUps for Everyone!

So I went to get everyone checked up yesterday and hear are the latest figures!

Andrew

Weight 42 lbs 6.4 oz
Height 3' 9.25" (45.25" for those who don't like to do the math)
BMI 14.56! This is a new readout for him. No one else in this family has a BMI that low. Stringbean shall be his new name!

Zane

Weight 38lbs 3.2 oz
Height 39.5"
Zane finally busted out of the 100th percentile. He is what we like to call "on the chart" big!

Lucy

Weight 17 lbs 14.5 oz
Height 27.5"
Lucy is shockingly tall. She jumped back up to the 98th percentile. Crazy! Eric has a co-ed basketball team in his sights. She is doing well though. I looked at both of the boys baby books after the appointments yesterday and Lucy is the same size (almost exactly) as Andrew was. He was a few ounces heavier but the same height. It is crazy how they grow!

Rip Roarin' Speed Racer Party!

Yesterday we had a super birthday party for Andrew! He determined long ago that he desperately wanted a Speed Racer party. He has never seen Speed Racer but that is what he wanted. We invited friends and family to come and celebrate with us!

All the kids got to paint a little race car to take home!

The amazing Speed Racer helmet pinata that I slaved over. It worked and actually was broken open. The string cut through the edge at the same time too but it was ok. The kids all got way more candy than they needed.

Andrew's cake. He really wanted the cake itself to be shaped like Speed Racer's car but it was way beyond this mommy's abilities!

Race Car presents. Andrew made out like a bandit!

Andrew had a great party and he is now done for one more year. Amazing how much work they are even when you don't have a ton of games and stuff. Andrew told me he had a good time though and I guess that is all that is important.

Pinata Madness!

Tonight Penny and I finished the pinata for Andrew's birthday party tomorrow. I think it turned out pretty good. It is supposed to be Speed Racer's helmet. If necessary use your imagination. I was going to do a tire but I only know how to do paper mache with a balloon and tires generally aren't spherical. It actually turned out much better than I thought it would so be kind if you choose to comment! Now hopefully it will stand up to a couple of kids whacking it before it shatters. Last year we had the problem that no kid could swing hard enough to break it and I am really hoping it doesn't break on the first swing.

Big 5 Year Old!

Today was Andrew's 5th birthday and we had a little family present opening with ice cream at our house. Andrew is having an actual birthday party on Saturday. He was very excited to open presents. I told him yesterday that I would let him open his gifts from us today. Well, he was up at 6 am this morning and by 6:30 he was asking if he could open them. Ahhhhhh..... the love of presents I know it well. I just can't believe that my baby is 5. Soon he will be headed to kindergarten. Crystal called to wish Andrew a happy birthday today. It was very sweet of her!

Legos for a big boy!

Gee, do you think he is excited?