Tummy Troubles

Poor Mr. Luke.  He's nothing like Michael in the tummy trouble department, but he does have some issues.  He can't really eat solids.  I started with rice cereal and noticed he started having rough nights, was grouchy, and got all clogged up when he had cereal.  So I tried squash, and he had the same problem.  So then I tried prunes and even prunes took over 24 hours to make it all the way through. I waited a month and I tried baby oatmeal cereal and it didn't work either.  So, I've thrown in the towel for another month.  He can eat Cheerios and Mum-Mums and Ritz crackers.  They don't seem to bother him.  Unfortunately, he LOVES food.  He just watches us and grabs and wants, but his digestive system just can't process it well yet.  Sorry baby, hopefully it won't last as long as Michael's did.



He started making another face.  This pinchy mouth face.  It shows off his dimples.  This last week he started waving.  It's not consistent yet, but its SO cute! 


He also started crawling. He's been rolling everywhere and showing no signs of being interested in crawling.  He wasn't even ever trying or rocking on all 4's. Well this week, he just crawled right to me! He army crawls with his arms, and gets up and pushes with his knees, so it's like a 1/2 and 1/2 crawl/army crawl.


He just gets happier and happier.

Free Tag Alongs

Mike had a work conference in Portland.  Instead of his company paying to fly him out and put him in a hotel, he asked for gas money and we stayed at Derrick and Missy's and the whole family got to come along. The best kind of business trip! We got there late Wednesday night.  We have found we like leaving late afternoon for car trips.  We make one dinner/potty/nursing/gas stop and then everyone sleeps and we don't have to make anymore stops.  

Anyway, the kids played their little hearts out.  They went worm hunting right after a drizzly morning.  Isabelle looks like she's going to take a bite out of this one.



We went to the zoo.  Isabelle and McKall had matching skirts this time around.  They were so cute at the zoo in their frilly skirts.

We had our first real "lost kid" experience. Luckily we weren't far. The zoo was packed and there was this cave thing.  Just as we all go out, we were doing a head count and heard a man yell, "Mike.  Is there a Mike out here?  An Isabelle is looking for a Mike."  We all heard him and said, that's kinda funny we have an Isabelle and Mike and then we realized that Isabelle was missing and it was us! Then I started frieking out, but she was already standing there crying at that point.  Out of my two mobile children, she was not the one that needed this experience.  She always stays close and is aware and careful and not trouble in public places.  She just followed the wrong adult legs around in the cave. From that point on she clung to one of us like a leech or insisted on sitting in the stroller, while trouble Michael was running around like a crazy person.



The penguins thought Isabelle's sparkle shoes were fish. It was so funny!  I liked the Portland zoo, but it was one of the first pretty days of the year, so it was really really packed.


Luke hates grass.


Luke does love the slide.


Michael went down the slide with a cup of water without a lid. You can guess how well that went. This was his solution to his empty "Dars" cup at the end.



S'mores on the fire pit.  Michael of course, "No like mores,"  How can you not like S'mores?



We also went to a family fun center.  Remember Isabelle and her first roller coaster just 2 weeks ago? Well this place had the exact same Hopper thing.  As soon as Isabelle saw it, she screamed.  Michael went on it and LOVED it!  He giggled the whole time and as soon as it was over, he asked to do it again.  While he was going again, Missy asked Isabelle if she would like to go.  She ran to the other side of the area and cried.  So no, she still does not like "roller coasters."

It was a fun trip.  We got home Sunday night and were exhausted.  We've been SO busy and off our normal schedule since the end of March.  This week will be our first 100% normal week again.

Little Excitements

We had some computer issues.  Mike used his awesome skills and took pieces from a free computer and an old one we had to create one working computer.  Yay!  We found some old games we used to play when Isabelle was little.  This is Peggle.  My kids LOVE to play it, and watch Mike play it.Isabelle gets all into it. This picture she's on pins and needles.  She is so entertaining to watch and she loves to play it with Mike.

Better Late Than Never

A month or so ago, it was such a nice day.  The puddle in the field next to us was nice and full.  My kids love to go throw rocks there. It was a wonderful peaceful Sunday afternoon.








We love spring!

"Pease read it me"

Michael got this cars book.  It came with 12 little plastic "Cars 2" characters and a car mat.  Michael brings me this book all day, "Pease read it me!"  He gets very frustrated if you don't stop what you are doing immediately to read to him.

Kid Heaven

When we were in Utah, we cleaned out more stuff that we had left at Mike's parents.  One thing his mom found was this tent you put on a twin mattress that was Mike's when he was little.  We set it up and the kids are having a blast in it!  Isabelle has gone to bed all week without complaining, and is usually in bed AT 7! She has a Tinkerbell nightlight and plays her leapster for a bit or reads contently until she gets tired.

We Love Emily!

Meet Emily.  She is our next door neighbor.  She loves my kids, and we love her!   She comes over in her spare time to play with my kids.  I love visiting with her and catching up with her teenage life.  Sometimes, I just need to get something done, and she comes and plays with the kids for a bit while I finish up a project or something. She plays with my kids outside, takes them on walks, gets the mail, throws rocks in the pond, plays hide and go seek, and babysits when we need. Her and her family have been a great addition to our Spokane life. We celebrated her 16th birthday a few weeks ago.  We make her a birthday brownie, her favorite, and the kids love singing to her.   I know she's so busy, but appreciate that she makes time to come see my kids.  They absolutely love her!

 

House Guests

We had some house guests last week.  They have 4 kids ranging 7 to 15 months.  With some creative shuffling, we found places for everyone to sleep and the kids had so much fun together.  They played outside tons in our dirt pile and ran "Cars" races.  It's always fun to have visitors!

So Thoughtful

Using ropes, Isabelle tied all the swings together and then said "Look, Mom!  I can swing both of my brothers!"

Meet....

Tigress.  She's spastic and loud and dancy.


Meet Master Shifu.  He's tiny and fast and constantly moving.


Together they do Kung Fu and despite the size difference, Master Shifu almost always wins.  He can tackle Tigress to the ground in seconds without her even realizing he was in the room.


I could watch these two for hours as they pretend moves from Kung Fu Panda and Kung Fu Panda 2, some of their favorite movies right now.  Michael announces, "I Ma Shi Fu!  Dider, Tigress!" and then the moves and craziness begin.