Munchkin Moments

This past month we've had a lot of time to "enjoy" the indoors since it has still been too hot to really go out and play. Here's what's been going on at home: Hailey: I'm learning how to braid Hailey's hair. For the most part, she is pretty patient and complimentary in regards to my efforts. 

Her entourage, as she leaves for a "princess" birthday party

Hailey is delighted that Colby FINALLY takes a bottle. She constantly wants to feed him. And I graciously allow it (who am I kidding - it buys me an extra 4.5 minutes to finish the dinner prep!)

She's still going strong with her swim lessons. It is amazing how much she's improved in just a few short months. 

I helped put together a co-op preschool for her with some other moms in the area, and she loves it. Here she is, ready for that first day. She insisted on bringing a notebook to take notes in and anxiously worried about what homework would be like. I had to break it to her that it wasn't going to be quite like THAT kind of school.

It doesn't hurt that her best little friend is at school with her!

I already had my week to teach. Here we are, flying through outer space in our rockets. These kids are a blast!

Owen: When you have an older sister, you tend to want to do everything she does too. And when your awesome cousin (pictured here) always wears flowers behind her ear too, sometimes you've just got to go with the flow! 

If you ask Owen how old he is, he'll say 4. If you ask him where he lives, he'll say Sri Lanka. He can accurately sing the beginning of the call to prayer, keeps trying to sneak rides on Hailey's bike when we don't pay attention, and throws some 5-star tantrums when things don't go his way. The boy has spirit!

He's starting to dig this "big brother" thing.

Nothing like a giant chokehold hug first thing in the morning!

 I've got two people I can dress in matching clothes once again, at least until they're old enough to think its not cool.

Owen can always make us laugh. Ask him to tell you a joke - he's got a whole series.  He's quite a hit with the under 6 year old crowd :) 

Will suffered from a mysterious ailment one day last month, from which he made a full recovery once the bus was far enough away he knew I wouldn't risk running out and chasing it down. We had fun grocery shopping together and visiting the fish market. Will's new love is reading - he's devouring chapter books by the dozen. He makes his Reading family side proud : )

Colby: Deserves his own post, seeing as how he turned ONE this past month! Here's a teaser.

Tyler: Unfortunately, this thing called school means I don't get as many pictures of Tyler and Will. However, this gem highlights Tyler's weird human trick of sucking his nostrils together (apparently these tricks are all the rage in the 3rd grade. I know all about who is double jointed, who can wiggle their ears and so forth). It is more impressive in person, and he brings it out any time he's in trouble because he knows it makes me laugh.

Every now & then I remember to snap a picture of them all together. Nothing like a morning bike ride to get some popsicles! 

They were all hiding under the stairs while Ken did some drilling - the extras are my adorable neighbors that double as the sisters Hailey doesn't have.

With all these personalities under the same roof, we don't seem to have many dull moments!