Ahhhh, A Vacation!

We got to go on a weekend getaway!  It was fabulous.  We met another family at a condo at one of the ski resorts by Mt. Hood.  We went with Mike's best friend from high school, Derrick, and his family.  They have a daughter a bit older than Isabelle, a boy a bit older than Michael and a baby girl a bit older than Luke.  Our kids get along perfectly!  Michael and Trevin are so alike and have some of the same struggles.  It's great chatting with Missy to figure out "what we are going to do with theses boys!"

Here we are on the road.  Michael brings Luke paci's all day long at home without ever putting one in his mouth...the second we are in the car only on a road trip he cries and cries and cries wanting a "ba-bye-er" (paci).  For everyone's sanity, some battles aren't worth it and then it stays in until we make it home and he gives it up without a fight...I don't get it.   Anyway, love these sunglasses.  So cute!


The first morning it snowed a ton!  There was a tractor plowing and the kids just stood in the window yelling and giggling at the tractor forever.


Isabelle and McKall always want to match.  Just so happened they actually had the same shirt packed.  These two little girlies just played and played and played their little hearts out.


Love this picture!


Trevin has a Leapster Explorer with a "Cars 2" game.  Michael wanted it ALL weekend.  That's all he wanted to do.  He kept hiding to steal a few minutes with it.  If he didn't have this, he was trying to steal one of the ipads, smart phones, or other leapsters.  We are going to have to get on the ball with some technology boundaries with him before he's 3!


There was this gate thing the kids had a blast playing in.


Luke hung out the whole weekend being a good baby after his initial 15ish hour "this is not my schedule" revolt.


The kids bundled up to play in the snow out on the deck. We never actually took them out to play in the snow.  Our sled flew out of the back of our truck somewhere between Spokane and the ski resort. We took turns watching kids and skiing.  We made sock puppets, played with balloons, did puzzles, played legos, made popsicle stick velcro building things, colored, cut, and all sorts of other things to keep the kids at home  entertained.


I'm doing a separate skiing post.  Us adults played games, shuffle board, watched movies, and got all caught up.  It's fun hanging out with good friends.

A Good Laugh

On Saturday, we headed out for a family date, ie running errands.  This is what my children looked like through Fred Meyer, and Best Buy.  Earlier in the day Michael had written all over his face and right hand. His entire hand is literally green. Isabelle is very much at the "I will wear what I want, and you can't do anything about it" phase.  Fine with me...so many battles just aren't worth it.  All I could do was laugh.

Alone Time

Apparently I'm not the only one that uses the bathroom to take a deep breath and be left alone for a few seconds.

A Little Independence

Michael FINALLY has a desire to actually attempt to dress himself.  Up to this point, he just sits there and waits for me to do it all for him. He got his shoes on all by himself and was so proud. It was adorable.  The picture isn't that great, but you can see no socks and they were on the wrong feet, but that makes it even cuter to me. I've started hearing, "No I do it."  Zippers on sleepers, pulling pants up, shoes, etc.  It's fun.  I love watching kids figure out how to get dressed.  It cracks me up!

Just a few funny words he says.  Everything has 2 syllables and it's repeat. His enunciation really improved alot over just this last week, so many of them have changed, but this is what I had been listening to the last few months.
er-er: oranges
ah-ah: apples
Cha-cha: chocolate
Her-her: horsie (he loves to play horsie on our legs)
Oat-no: oatmeal, this one has stuck.  We all call oatmeal oat-no.  It's quite fun to say.
My-my: Michael.  If you ask him what his name is, he says, "ME!"
Crackers, blanket, and sunglasses all sound the same and it's a hodge podge of sounds, I never understand him. I go through every word in the book until I realize it's one of these three.
Isabelle still translates quite a few things for me.

Look at this Face!

We had a rough week this week and my alone time every night with this face helped all the madness melt away before heading to bed.

My Tall One

Today was a momentous moment....she can now reach the water in the kitchen sink with no stool.  How is she that big?  I don't know what her stats are or anything, but she's just grown out of all her 4t shirts and her 4t pants actually fit.  Her tops have always been a size bigger than her bottoms. I just bought size 6 stuff for next winter. When did she get so big?

Like Father, Like Son

Michael's hands were even the same, but by time I got a picture he had changed them.  This little boy is his father's son.  Mike's mom has said a lot how much he reminds her of Mike as a little kid, both personality and looks...oh dear....I'm in trouble. :)

"The" Hat

The beauty of grandmas that knit and crochet.  I don't have to buy beanies!  My mom sent this hat recently and Michael doesn't take it off.  It's way too big for him, but he loves it anyway and throws a fit if Isabelle wears it or tries to steal it.

Skating Shoes

Isabelle discovered one day, while she was supposed to be getting in the car, that her sparkle shoes make great ice skates in our driveway.  She puts on her skating shoes, finds some mittens and her helmet and off she goes.  She usually sings while she does it too.

Look at Me!

It's a sad/happy day for me to walk by and see this.....



My baby is growing up.