Monday, April 22, 2013

April

The reality that this year is almost a fourth of the way finished is astounding.  I really can't believe it.  Everything around me seems to be growing...flowers, leaves, and especially the boys.  I have had 3 comments just this week on how big Easton looks.  Declan is actually starting to talk, something I was afraid just might never happen.  I can't get Xander to stop talking!  Cache, my true middle child, seems to just magically be 4 1/2 ...he's huge.

Here they are doing what they do best...keeping me busy!

I'm with Declan on this one...why do they make 2 year old's underwear with a slit through the front?


Watching the garbage man.


My kids are always putting things on their heads...I  especially enjoyed this one - it was actually stuck on his head.  Fortunately it came apart (part of the Elefun game) without too much effort!


My poor Xander trying to catch up on much-needed sleep.  Adnoid surgery is schedule for next month...hopefully his sleep improves dramatically!


Xander is much more timid than Declan.  This little duck on the ground talks and dances.  Xander is hiding behind the couch, because he is too scared to get any closer.  Declan keeps pushing the button to start the duck intentionally intimidating his brother!



Fort central.


The boyz in the fort.


Easter egg dying.  Last year we somehow missed it.  This year we were a week late...but we did it!





Twins in all things.


Easton's first baseball game.  A kid who is named after a baseball bat better have some skills!


David is the assistant coach.



Hooray.  The baby gates are finally down!  The twins love being en-caged!



The not-so-happy face of Xander.  You should see it when both twins are doing this to me!


Oh, the glories of potty-training the twins.  Here, they BOTH decided to poop under the swings.  I have had to pick up poop from my neighbors sidewalk and our patio as well.  Not to mention all the wonderful things they enjoy peeing in... cups, mason jars, inside the seat of push cars, house vents, ziplock bags 
(just to name a few!)


Declan with a whole hand of finger lights.


Best friends.  Declan helping Xander put on his underwear.



Xander loves his ipad time.  



Playdate with Easton's school friend, Adrian.  They built a great volcano in the backyard sandbox.


Adrian's younger brother, Seth.


Going retro...returning to playing in the cupboards.



When the twins decide to be sneaky they take things under the kitchen table.


We are the proud owners of 1 plum tree and 2 apple trees.  It took all the neighborhood kids about 4 hours to dig the holes!


Thursday, March 28, 2013

March

The babies still eat in a high chair for 'containment' reasons.  Clearly, they are quite capable of eating at and on the table!


Playdate with the Macpherson...a mere 7 kids ages 6 and under!


I hereby declare this the National Svir Argyle Sweater Vest Day.



It's a amazing what kids will eat if with a little sugar (grapefruit in this case!)







Declan has always had a sense of adventure.  He loves being thrown in the air and he loves to stand on David's hands!  



Bottle, check.  Remote, check.  It doesn't take long for kids to catch on to the good stuff!


The twins can be quite a force when they team up and wrestle the big boys.  Cache and Easton usually seem to enjoy it!



David was home for a snow day.  I made soup, fresh bread, and cookies.  Even I amaze myself sometimes.


Xander loves to eat his own dinner then climb on one of our laps to eat our dinner as well!


Today I couldn't find the big boys.  I realized when I found their room to be a disaster, I must be close.


Of course, they are playing Pokemon in the closet with their reading lights, where else would they be?


Our snow storms have not been that exceptional this year... this was suppose to be a huge storm, and we barely got enough to build snowmen (that melted the next day!).



Easton loves to eat snow.  I have to remind him several days later that he shouldn't eat the leftover piles of snow although he assures me they are still clean!




Cache was kind enough to give the snow men some twigs for arms...




Warming up with hot chocolate after a cold afternoon outside.


Cache and Declan love to jump on the couch.  I can't say that I love it, but I do tolerate it on a cold day when they need to get their energy out!




When I went to get Declan from his nap today, I was first greeted by a very bad smell...and then I found this!  Seriously disgusting.  Declan was seriously disgusting too.  How do you even start to clean something like this up?  To make matters worst, he did it again 2 weeks later.  The second time I didn't even bother to take a picture...I'm sure you get the idea.


The boys enjoying Declan's newly-sanitized room.



My first black eye from our women's church basketball game!  I have to say it is quite embarrassing to have a black eye when you are a grown adult.  


We took a fun long weekend and went to an indoor water park with the kids.  It's called Great Wolf Lodge. You stay at the lodge and swim all day.  It was quite impressive and the kids had a great time.





On the last day the twins even went down the tube slides by themselves.  They were amazing!  Also, Easton managed to stand on his tip-toes just the right amount to go on the biggest tube ride as well.  He was so excited.   He probably climbed a thousand stairs over the 3 day vacation!


Cache loves his apple juice!


Cute brothers.


Xander still has a really hard time sleeping.  He often stays awake for hours in the middle of the night, sleeps in till 10, or falls asleep early for nap.  I am going to get his adnoids removed (like Easton did) and hope it's enough to help him sleep better!  Poor kid.


Declan trying to hide in the cupboard.



This is what I call a group time out.  In this case, Easton is the one in time out and everyone else just decided to join in.  Cache even brought and passed out snacks!


I believe in manual labor.  The twins are masters at coloring on the walls, floor, everywhere.  I gave them each a magic eraser and told them to get to work.  I actually think they enjoyed it more than making the mess.



This winter I bought a great Groupon to a local karate place.  I got 10 lessons for Easton and Cache for $60.  That made it $3 a lesson.  The karate instructors were awesome and the kids really enjoyed it.  I had to withstand a million sales pitches, but it was bearable.  I was also glad for the opportunity to get to know how involved karate is..and expensive.  Every weapon has a fee and every test has a fee.  It was crazy (of course, I didn't pay for anything...but I met people who were spending an additional $100 a month in addition to the nearly $200 monthly fee!) They also want you to attend classes 2-3 times a week.  I like the life lessons and skills they teach and maybe when the boys are older I would consider it.  But for now, 10 weeks was perfect!







A family that nebs together stays together!  It seems like someone is always needing the nebulizer in our family.  Bad lungs.  Hopefully they grow out of it!


Declan loves to balance his crackers on our window panes.  


Another light snow day.  Xander tends to think it is too cold, but Cache and Declan love to play in the snow.


Cache loaded Declan with weapons.


More cute brothers....before...


...and after!


Cache showing off his pirate skills!





The amazing playdough creation.  I'm not sure what it is, but the boys were quite impressed with themselves.



Cache invented this scooter-boat.  Gotta love Costco boxes!


My little Picasso.  Xander loves to color... with or without clothing.


My two big boys!  I decided that since we were going to have a very boring spring break at home, we might as well start potty training.  The twins have showed signs of being ready.  They have both gone several times on the potty, they can hold it and pee down the drain in the bath, and after Xander goes in his diaper, he holds himself and says, poo poo!  These were enough signs for me.  Plus, my mom's words haunt me, 'better potty train them before they get too comfortable!'


After each time they go they get a sucker.  I may ruin their teeth, but I see a lack of diapers in my future, and that's a fair enough trade for me!


What is this?  4 laundry baskets filled with kids...the perfect trap, I mean, fort!


This one is Declan.


Once in a while Cache lets me do his hair.  Once in a while, he will even do it himself.





Declan's obsession with silly bands.  I let him wear them for about 10 minutes before I decided he should have full circulation again!