March 2013

Somehow Easter got on here first.

The view from the back window - can you see the two pheasants? I am just glad they're sitting on the deck and not flying into my front window!

Ellie finally likes to go to nursery! And I can leave her without her screaming the whole time I'm gone. One thing they do most every week is "Ring Around the Rosies" and she loves it, she gets her brothers to do it with her all the time. She's always going up to Ian while he's trying to read or do homework and pulls on his arm saying, "ring rosies?" How can anyone resist that?

There is a lot of reading of Dr. Seuss going on this month! His birthday is March 2, so we had a party and got out all the books we have of his. Caleb, especially, loves to read his stories.

We had Dr. Seuss food all day on March 2, this was dinner - the cat's hat and stars from The Sneetches.

Apparently Ellie needs reading glasses.

She is getting so good at "blowing bubbles with your mouth!" She does it all the time.

She was happy to be going somewhere. Not so happy to leave the 6 cars behind. She really, really likes to hold things. She has her favorites, usually her duck, these two broken light toys that have a snowman and Snoopy on them, and these Winnie the Pooh figures we have. We spend a lot of the day finding whatever she's left laying around, when she's crying for it at bedtime. And it's hard to get her to go out the door without something in her little hands! We did get out the door without the cars, but not without some tears as well.

A lot of March was taken up with working on science fair projects. Ian tested what liquids make nails rust the fastest, Levi tested which type of sugar grew yeast the best, and Caleb tested which type of bread molded the fastest. Science is fun!

February 2013

Ellie likes to sit on Ian's lap when he's trying to read his own books.

We have two independent readers! It's so fun to watch Caleb and Levi sit down and read themselves a book. Not just look through it at the pictures, but actually read it! I need to make sure they read out loud to me, too, because I know there are still a lot of words they do not know, but they can get enough words to get the story. And they both love to read!

I think the shoes make the outfit :).

Ellie for some reason started "blowing bubbles with your mouth," as she says. She does it all the time!

The most exciting happening of February was Ian's 10th birthday, which I already wrote about.

I love that Ellie is getting enough hair to do fun things with - of course, it only stays cute for about 5 minutes, but it's fun while it lasts!

January 2013

New Year's Day tradition of new books. I couldn't get Levi to stop reading his to look up at the camera :)

Ellie was a bit overwhelmed with all the Christmas happenings, she stayed out of the living room most of Christmas morning. At New Year's she had no intention of unwrapping a book, but she did like it once we opened it for her.

Caleb loves making things. He made his monkey these goggles.

 We were making bread and Caleb and Levi both wanted to help.

I've been getting the boys to help me cook, to try and start teaching them about cooking. They each have a day a month to pick the meal and help me make it. This is Ian making his dinner for January - baked breaded chicken!

Our cousin who is in first grade sent us a "Flat Stanley" to show around our town. They had fun with him, and took him to the science center. He wasn't scared at all of these raccoons :).

December 2012

Ellie still needs to be upright after she eats and reading is a favorite activity while she's stuck in her highchair.

Just because it's cute!

We took pictures the Sunday before Christmas.

Ellie wasn't cooperating with her brothers but they were looking good!

It snowed a lot the week of Christmas, which was perfect because we had time to go sledding a lot. We can sled on the hill that is behind the elementary school, as long as you stop before you hit the brick building :).

Ian and Levi made this snow tunnel.

Christmas Eve, after our candle-lighting (and flashlight for Ellie) ceremony.

Christmas morning!

John took the boys sledding Christmas afternoon, and while there were several families sledding, Ian was the one the photographer choose to put on the front page of the newspaper the next day! He was going over a jump, which he surprisingly didn't get hurt on (until later in the week, that is).

Ian did not do this sledding, but in movement class at school. We thought it might be broken, it was very swollen and bruised, but no, just sprained. He tried to write with his left hand for a few days but thankfully it got better quickly.

Caleb and Levi sang in their winter concert in December. Levi wasn't feeling too well that day, but he really, really wanted to be in the program. He went and made it through, but I took him home right after, he was pretty miserable. But this is the first time he's been sick in at least the past year and a half he's been in school (probably in the past 3 or so years) so he's not doing too bad!

June 22, 2013

We have a bike rider! Levi mastered riding a bike today!

And, we have another bike rider - Caleb mastered it today, too!!

And, we have a little bike rider! Ellie spent quite a while today trying to pedal. It's easier to make herself go backwards, but she went forward sometimes too!

And, so that he's not left out, Ian rode around most of the afternoon, encouraging and helping his brothers as they rode up and down the street.

Caleb and Levi can't wait to be able to go on a real bike ride with the whole family!

And, I realized this is post #100!