Random phone pictures

too cool for my shades. who buys baby sunglasses?
Dave said she found this baby in one of our toy baskets and has been going back for it all day.

enjoying the nice weather. She is finally big enough to enjoy some outside toys.

Leap Day

I got to go on a field trip with Siena's Kindergarten class. It was so much fun. I learned so much. I love that we have so much history around here. They went to Gunston Hall. It was the plantation of George Mason. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, it rained the whole time we were there so we had to run from building to building, but it was still fun. The house was beautiful and I remembered that I am grateful for electricity and modern comforts. Here is my group overlooking the map of the plantation. Siena was so well behaved, it made me proud. Some of these kids were all over the place. I asked Siena what her favorite part was and she said riding the bus. I guess that makes sense since she doesn't get to everyday. It was fun and I got a good insight of Kindergarten life for her. I love love love her teachers and she does really well. We just have to work on her shyness. Her teachers say she does talk now and they love it when they are teaching her something and she gets all excited about it. I think by May she will have completely opened up.
I also got to leave Claire and Ben at a friends house and they did so well. I was worried that Claire would cry the whole time but she was happy and took a nap and ate and had fun. I was so happy. I may have to start a mom swap now that I know Claire can be on her own for a couple of hours.
After school we went to Hidden Pond Nature Center for our class. It was all about frogs. They did the cutest activity. They had noise makers that they had to blow and catch pieces of tape. It was like a frog tongue catching flies. They thought it was so funny.

It's a beautiful day

The weather has been fabulous! We played outside all day Monday. I took the opportunity to try out the new complex camera. I had fun but was way overwhelmed. Dave has a class to learn more about it next week and then I will take a class after that. Hopefully I will understand what is going on. Anyway, the kids had so much fun playing outside I can't believe it was February.
We have a baby swing set that we got back out for Claire. She loved the swing and the older two loved pushing her around and climbing on it.
Can't resist my cute chubby baby. This is the cute cloth diaper cover that we have. Siena always asks to put her in this one because it's so cute. Love it.

Ben riding his bike. He loves it and asks constantly to ride it. He has been brave, he fell off once but go over it and got right back on.

Claire clapping for the good weather.

my beauty.

she chased me around the whole front yard. She got a good workout this day.

Ben loves to swing. I can't wait for the day when he finally can pump. He would sit out there for hours swinging if he could. I usually find him on his stomach pushing himself.

so happy.

Happy Birthday Ben!!!!!

We had such a fun super hero party. Really an easy party to plan. It is pretty easy to make three and four year old boys happy. The weather was really windy so we had to do everything inside but we found enough activities to entertain them. At the end of the party they got on their coats and ran outside to save the animals that had been taken by the villan. I am glad that we did the party in the morning. Ben was asking when all his guests were coming at 9 in the morning.


The super heroes are off!!!!! I love how my kids are all blocking everyone out. The best $5 investment was spray paint to paint cereal/Costco boxes. We stacked them up and used them as the brick wall to break through. The kids thought they were so strong! Opening some fun presents.

The super hero squad. The cupcakes had bright blue frosting so all the super heroes had bright blue tongues and faces for the rest of the party. They thought this was very funny.

Testing their super hero skills. Can they pass the obstacle course? Ben breaking through the brick wall.

Siena shooting the villan.

Calvin shooting the villan

Dmitry crawling through the web ready to go through the tunnel.

pass the kryptonite. I brought out this game and I asked the kids what I had and they said Playdough. They hadn't heard of kryptonite but they were quick to pass the rock around when they heard that it took their super powers away.

Dave teaching them how to fly... and getting a great workout.

Dmitry

Ben

Jacob with great flying form.

All I wanted was a cute picture of all my super hero kids together. I guess that was too much to ask. Someday we will get a cute picture of all the kids together.

My happy super heroes

The morning gifts. Ben and I went shopping the other day for all his food on his birthday. He decided that he wanted hot dogs and hamburgers. So Dave got to grill in February. Ben and Siena woke us up at normal time and were excited to go down and get the donuts. We all went down and Ben was clueless that there were gifts in the family room. Siena finally had to tell him and show him.


more cars for his wall track.

A spider man shirt, spider puzzle and spider man soccer ball from Nana and Papa.

We got him a super hero water bottle a big kite and the bike and optimus prime helmet.

He was just as happy playing with all the balloons.

a great find on craigslist. I responded to an add on craigslist and got a reply that it was my friend Crystal selling it. It was perfect for Ben. Luckilly he was asleep in the car when I went and picked it up.

We ended the day with a birthday BBQ with Aunt Karin and Uncle Steve. He loves seeing them.
Happy Birthday Ben. We love him so much. It always makes me a little sad that my kids are getting bigger. Thank goodness he's a good helper and not just a little terror. (Ok. sometimes he is just a terror) He loves Claire so much and helps me with her all day. He misses Siena when she is away at school and is so excited when he will go to school. He is such an accomadating brother. He tries to play super heroes with me all morning and then when Siena comes home he does pretty good at playing what she wants. Usually it is drawing and coloring. I think he will be excited when Claire can do a little more with him during the day.

I can definately see the difference between boys and girls. Ben seems to always be on his own time schedule. I don't know how I will ever get him out the door to school. Usually he goes to drop Siena off half dressed. A couple Saturdays ago we told the kids to go and get dressed. Dave and I were downstairs watching a t.v. show and kind of forgot about the kids getting dressed. Siena gets dressed and goes and plays. Ben is upstairs still. We get through the whole 30 minute show and Ben finally comes down the stairs dressed. He comes down all excited and announces how fast he was. Buddy, it took you a half hour to put pants and a shirt on and he thinks he is fast! so silly. Atleast he is cute and he doesn't come up with crazy outfits like Siena still does.

He is such a snacker. He doesn't really eat meals and it is very frustrating. He will eat a little bit of a meal and then say he isn't hungry till the next meal. 45 minutes later he come and asks for something to eat. He is a pretty good eater if we can just get him to try it.

He loves his soccer class. I think he may have a crush on his soccer teacher. He asked if we could invite her to his birthday party. He was asking because he wanted to play soccer at his party. I told him she had kids and had to be home with them. He gave up pretty easily on the idea, but it was cute that he wanted to invite her.

Since the weather has been so nice we have been playing a lot of basketball out front. Whenever I play with him I am the girl Jimmer team and he is the boy Jimmer team. It is so cute. I love that we are already forcing BYU stuff down his throat. Jimmer does share his birthday with him.

We are so lucky to have him in our family. He makes me so happy.

Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day! We had fun. You would think it was Christmas at our house. We woke up to the kids opening their mailboxes in Sienas room. They were so excited and were patiently taking turns opening each letter. Just like Christmas they were taking turns. It was sad that I had to hurry them along so Siena wouldn't be late for school. I was glad that I had taken some time the previous night to make Siena some cards. Everyones mailbox is so stuffed by the time V-day comes around except Siena because she is the giver of all the letters. My cute Ben and Claire got dressed up for the occasion. Siena wore this outfit her first valentines day.

I had some red melting chocolate that I piped into words. Ben thought this was so cool.

Enjoying our heart cookies.

The day before V-day Siena asked what she was going to wear in her hair for the day. I realized we didn't have any cute heart bows. We had a red ribbon and we made a heart stamp. She stamped a heart ribbon to match her outfit for V-day. I didn't get a picture that morning because we were running late. She loved it and looked cute.
I guess I didn't get any pictures of Siena's valentines but she made hearts out of old crayon shaving to give her friends at school. The process took a lot longer than I hoped but it as cute. Thankfully, she didn't come home with too much candy that day.

Claire has learned a new trick. She finally pulls herself up but doesn't know what to do after that so she just screams until you come and get her and put her back in the crawling position. Soon she will catch on and learn to cruise.

On to Birthday festivities at our house!!!!!!!!!

never ending paper

Siena is obsessed with crafts and books and anything that she can draw. Her teacher says that the art station is the only station she will go to. She brings home tons of pictures for us each day. Then I find her locked away in the craft room at home making things. She has been working hard on our valentine cards. She brought these books up she made the other day. One for Ben and one for her.
She drew windows and then put Princess stickers in the window. so funny.
Once upon a time a princess was looking out the window it was Belle.

I love it.

Then one for Ben

the two outside stickers are bad guys. again spider man is inside the house

Once upon a time Spider man caught a bad guys.
the picture on the left is a web that spider man spun with the bad guys he caught.

These are so funny. I love it.