Party!

We had a great time this weekend at the boys birthday party! The weather was gorgeous and the company was great! We really couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Here are some pictures from the party. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Boys!

My babies are TWO!! Matt and I have really been trying hard to stop calling them "babies," but it is so hard! They are really enjoying their train table that kept mommy and daddy up until almost 2am putting together, but it was worth it to see their excitement and enjoyment. Both boys are doing great. Liam is getting some speech and physical therapy for minor issues and is really doing quite well. Grant's favorite phrase is "Mama, what doin' dere?" and he asks me this multiple times a day. They loved their cake ("Unt cake, mama. More!" they kept saying at lunch today) and we are all excited about the party this weekend. Both boys are still obsessed with cars and trains and love sorting shape toys and puzzles. They love to throw balls and run around on the deck outside. Happy Birthday to my little boys! Love you both to pieces!!

Down the hill and 'round the bend..

Riding on Thomas

Saturday morning we packed up the kids early to go see and ride on Thomas the Tank Engine in Connersville. It was quite a ride since there were detours both ways to get to and from Connersville from Indy and because we had to go there and back before 1pm so that I could go to work. It wasn't everything I was expecting it to be and the kids had a couple of mood issues, but at least I have the photos to prove that we did it! The boys all love trains (the twins are getting a train table and trains for their birthday) and really mostly liked playing with the trains they had set up. They probably could have skipped the train ride and been ok. It was an adventure to say the least.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to a great Daddy!

Almost...

Grant
Liam

...two years old!!

I'm the wife

Sorry for the delay in posting...too much working, no motivation, camera issues, etc. have all delayed me from updating this week. Here is a funny story that happened this past weekend while I was at work.

Matt called me to give me a kiddo update while at work this weekend.

Jackson

"Who are you talking to on the phone, Daddy?"

Matt

"My wife."

Jackson

"Oh."

Matt

"Do you want to talk to my wife?"

Jackson

"No."

Matt and I continue talking...

Jackson (interrupting)

"What is the name of your wife?"

Matt

"Karen."

Jackson

"Hey, that's mommy's name! I want to talk to mommy! Mommy is your wife?"

Thought this was cute! Hope everyone is doing well.

Following the Leader

Thought this was a cute picture of the boys. Jackson was showing Grant and Liam "Charlie and Lola" on the computer. They want to do everything their big brother and sister do!

Zoo visit

Mia with her explorer binoculars

Turtle sighting

Jackson checking out a clock

Liam (front), Grant (back)

Since we have annual passes to the zoo until October, we decided to take advantage of a beautiful Saturday morning and go to the Zoo. Since I had to work in the afternoon, we were only there for a couple of hours. Honestly with our brood, it was the perfect amount of time. Mia brought her binoculars to see the animals up close. Grant and Liam were even more enthused with the zoo creatures this time around. Jackson's favorite part is the aquarium with all the fish and the shark petting area. Matt and I liked it because it was a fun and free outing!

Two peas in a pod

No, I'm not talking about Grant and Liam (although they are also two peas in a pod), I'm talking about the J-man and Miss Amelia. Although they do fight, they really play together so well and are pretty much inseparable most days. I truly think that having them so close in age has really helped them get along. Mia talked Jackson into riding some rides at a festival this past weekend, Jackson plays Barbies and Disney princesses with Mia, Mia watches Jackson play on the computer, they share food and drinks, and on and on. It really is neat to watch the two of them. I know things change as they grow older, but I hope that they are able to maintain some of the friendship they have now.

Playdate

Last week we fortunate enough to have a visit from the Rodibaugh kids. The twins took a nap through most of the visit, but the older kids expelled loads of energy (to their mommies excitement) running around in the yard and playing in the pool. It was a great visit and had been too long since that last one. Looking forward to summertime schedules and being able to visit more often!

Rediscovered Treasures

The other night I decided to take all the cushions off the couch and vacuum underneath. Yuck. We found some pretty interesting things. Nothing too gross, but we found lots of toys, books, kid jewelry, combs (from brushing Barbie and My Little Pony hair on the couch), a musical card, dress-up feather fan, etc. Many things the kids forgot they were missing. They had a total blast playing on the couch without the cushions and on the cushions we threw on the floor. Please excuse their attire, it was after we spent most of the day outside in the pool and right before bath time:).

I love this one of the Grant and Liam. They were so excited! They kept putting their hands up like this and yelling something I couldn't understand.

Oh, yeah. One last treasure we found was Matt's lost iPod we thought was in a landfill by now. Apparently it had fallen in between the sectional couch. Too bad we replaced it already. I guess with our kiddos it is probably good to have a backup!

Throwback Thursday

Such little blue-eyed cuties!

Cheese!

Love this picture of little Grant. Anytime I have the camera out,

he is always quick to say, "Cheese!" Can you believe they are going to be two years old this month? I sure can't!

Up Movie

Matt and I were able to take Jackson and Mia to see the Disney/Pixar movie "Up" on Friday night. It was Mia's first experience at the theatre and Jackson's second. It was a really cute movie. I actually cried twice (shocking, I know), but it was really so adorable. The kids got a little restless towards the end, but I think they had a good time. There is nothing better than hearing kids laugh. It's cute to see what they think is funny. The short film before the movie was really cute as well. Definitely one we will own on DVD to watch again. Truthfully the highlight for the kids was the snacks. We got popcorn and M&M's and let them have some caffeine free soda (which is not normally allowed). I think it was like crack for them. I have never seen Jackson shovel in any type of food that quickly. He was going to town on the popcorn. Matt was rationing out the M&M's to Mia and she quickly found the hiding spot for the bag and was trying to sneak more from him. Hilarious! If you want to see a cute movie, go see it!

Making Music

Jackson still has a great love for music. Aunt Kelly brought a keyboard over to store and set it up in Jackson's room. He loves having it in there! He has taught himself to play "Mary had a Little Lamb," "If You're Happy and You Know It," and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" all by ear. He definitely has a passion for music. Can't wait to get him in some lessons, although I think he is probably a little young. I hate to not take advantage of this age of soaking things up like a sponge. Anyone know anybody who teaches 4 year olds?