New stuff! :)

Layla and Finn are really enjoying their first use of their table from Maureen Swenson!  :)  She bartered for it with me:  the table for gluten/sugar free baked goods.  :)  DONE and DONE!  Jackpot!  I especially love the umbrella since our backyard has almost zero shade and my children are...well...white.  

Maybe I should have taken the extra 3 seconds to get a good picture with them both looking at me, huh?

Who am I kidding?  That would take more than 3 seconds.  :)

When Mama and Papa are away...

When Jonas and I went away overnight for my birthday/Mother's Day, Renee and Jon and the kids came to our house to watch OUR kids.  :)  Here are a few photos Renee took of that babysitting time.  Thanks again, guys!

Just a few Memorial Day pictures:

These are Renee's pictures from FB.  I took a few with my camera too, but I think they were all of Finn sleeping in Grandma's lap.  :)  We met at our house this year because it was a smaller crowd, and Dad was gone, so Jonas did the grilling honors.  It was nice to have Lauren Mitchell join us, AND Noah and Beth Caron too! :)  We mostly just sat around and talked (inside because the weather was crappy for about 2 weeks straight...boooo...), at food, and watched several Arrested Development episodes.  

As always, we are so thankful Eric is back home safe and sound from Afghanistan.  We love you, Eric!

A few from my camera:

I didn't really keep great track of what they ate this day, other than to guard them from dairy or other allergy foods.  As far as I remember, I think they might have just eaten chips.  For about 6 hours straight.  Here they are enjoying a big bowl of two different kinds while we watched some Arrested.  :)

Too early.

My kids are NOT predictable yet.

  If I put them to sleep at 6:30 p.m. then I have a 50/50 chance of them getting up at 5:30 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. the next morning.  A few days ago it was 7:30 a.m.  It gave me the courage to do it again last night (that, and Finn was clearly crashing, so what are you gonna do?).

Tonight was not that morning.

When kids are literally crawling IN your hair at 5:30 a.m. you question everything you know about being a mother...or at least your bedtime routine last night...

(Random facts:  A few of my top personal pet-peeves: 1) Having my hair pulled, 2) Having my glasses shoved into my face or having the glass smudged repeatedly, 3) Having my clothes literally pulled off my body by little hands.  If you can't tell, I'm a little more of a "hands off" person by nature...)  ;)


Finn updates:

1.  He has taken to using the word "awesome" a lot lately.  It usually in the car when he sees some sort of big truck.  He always uses the word correctly.  Neither Jonas nor I use the word much at all, so all I can think is that he heard Jonas use the word while they were watching some YouTube video about trucks, or something like that, and it stuck.  Big trucks are awesome.  Obviously.  :)  He also uses it in other circumstances, though, thus proving his brilliance.

2.  He ran into the bathroom this morning and said to me "Hi Mama, I'm Finn, I didn' wan' to scare you" as he softly patted my leg.  Then he ran back out, back in, and did it again.  Repeat by 6 or 7 times.  Very cute.  He reeeeeeeeeeeeally didn't want to scare me, evidently.  :)

3.  He will often grab my hand and pull me in some direction saying "SHOW me, Mama!  SHOW me!!"  Which means he wants to show ME something.  :)  I also will say that to him when he is trying to explain something to me with just words and I'm completely not understanding a thing he is saying.  So now he uses it often, but usually backwards, which I love.  :)

Layla sayings:

1.  I can't remember if I've posted about this already, but one thing Layla says all the time (and that makes me laugh pretty much every time too) is "How we bout we" instead of "How about we...".  It's just so cute.  :)

A May-day rain walk:

These first two videos were taken just a few houses down from our home, on our block.  There is always a puddle in this particular spot, so when it rains that's where the kids want to go.  :)

We then walked the 1/2 block down to the parkway, right next to the lake and Phalen Park.  This is where the running and chasing can take place with less concern from Mama about Finn running like a mad man into the street.  

Strange things are happening here:

For the past two weeks I've noticed something very unique about my kids:

They are actually starting to play together.

Honest-to-goodness playing.  Activities.  Games.  Chasing, etc.

It's so GREAT!  :)  And it's still so new that I notice it every time, which is nice.

I think Finn's language development has helped a lot--he's not at a point where he can respond to commands (oh, YES...) from Layla the way she wants, follow cues, return in kind, etc.

We'll see where this goes from here.  Fingers crossed! :)

L

Layla

1.  Today I was holding Layla, comforting her after a fall, and she was wiping away her own tears.  She then looked at me and said "Mama, I fink Way-ah is MELTING!!!"

Ha!  I love how the brains of children work.  :)  I reassured her those were just tears, and she was not, in fact, melting.  Crisis averted.



2.  (You will only get this one if you know the PBS program "Super Why." Layla knows this program well because it's Finn's current favorite these days...)

I was snuggling with Layla right before she went to bed.  Everything was fine and dandy until she realized she was actually going to bed right then.  Normally she embraces bedtime with open arms, but tonight she just wasn't feeling it:

Layla:  Mama, I don't want to go to bed!!!

Me:  Sorry, honey, it's bedtime now.  Time to sleep.

Layla:  But Mama, I can't go to bed.  See?  It's in my story! "Way-ah. don't. want. to go. to bed."
(Looks up at me hopefully, big smile, because she knows she's pretty darn smart...)

Me:  Well, then we'll just have to change the story.  *ZAP!* See, now the story says "Layla is a happy girl and goes to bed."

Too bad Mama is even smarter, for now.  :)  She went to bed just fine after that.  How could she not??  It was in her story!

Silence

Sorry for my absence here on the blog!  It hasn't been intentional, but I haven't been great about getting any good photos or videos lately either, and then writing just words always seems...meh...to me.  ;)

I've been watching Zoey Rydbeck (our good friends who used to live 1 block from us, then moved to Seattle?  They come to town often, and I watch their daughter while they work) since last Thursday, and then I also had Henry here on Friday morning and Monday morning, so my days have been FULL with lots of little ones 3 and under.  It's going very well, but they all want the same things at the same times, being the same ages, so I am constantly "on duty."

I just want to say this:  the day came.  Today, as it happened yesterday, I am writing this post while Zoey is sleeping in the toy room, Layla is taking rest time in her room, and Finn is watching a DVD in his crib.  ALL 3 children are in separate rooms, "resting" at the same time, and I'm free.  FREE.  I could do ANYTHING right now!! (Well, okay, almost, but you get the idea...)

This is GREAT.  This is so great for me.  I can read during this time.  I can exercise during this time.  I can cook during this time!  Wheeeeeeeee!

Life with kids who change, mature, and grow up?  Awesome.  Just awesome.  :)  Not that I wish away the younger times, but man I'm not hating the older times either!

Lisa

A 9:30 a.m. game of T-Ball:

Papa's motorcycle:

Finn loves to hang out with Jonas in the garage and chill on the motorcycle.  No, he can't tip it over.  ;) He was being so cute the other day, so I went to grab my camera, and then of course when I returned he was craaaaaaaaanky as all get-out.  So, here is MAD Finn on the motorcycle.  :)  

A Mother's Day walk around "our" lake:

It was absolutely perfect weather for me today:  60, sunny, breezy, but rather impossible to be hot outside.  Amazing.  We all went for a walk around our lake (or up and down one side of it) and had a delightful time.  Happy Mother's Day to me! :)

Down on the dock enjoying the water up close.  

"Hey Finn, look at Mama!"

Always trying to touch the lense...

A view behind us.  

Jonas pushing about 80 lbs up a very steep hill.  :)  

He was being extra dramatic for the camera, but it is no joke!  I've done it myself and DANG.  That's a workout!

Walking the wall.  

One of his favorite things to do is run away.  

Sometimes he comes back.  :)

As a gift to me this morning, both kids slept in until 7:30 a.m.  It was HEAVEN.  :)  They both slept through the night, too, although Finn still did wake up for about 10 minutes somewhere in there...but I clearly got enough sleep.  Again...heaven.

Also, as a combo birthday gift and Mother's Day gift to me, Jonas took me out to eat at Fogo de Chao, and then we spent the night in downtown Minneapolis at the W Hotel in the Foshay Tower.  It was a very relaxing time, and again, I got a FULL night of sleep.  Two nights in a row I have slept until 7:30...my body has no idea what to do with this rested feeling!  ;)  Let me go back to dinner, though:  If you like meat in any way shape or form, you really might want to try this restaurant.  I tried about 8 different forms of meat cuts, I believe, and 6 of them were absolutely fantastic.  The chicken and chicken sausage were fine, but each and every cut of beef, lamb, and pork I had was heavenly.  Hot, cut right in front of you, seasoned and cooked perfectly.  Amazing.  Check it out.  It's $49.99 a person for the classiest "all you can eat" around.  ;)  I was so full on Friday night I could barely move, and it took me until noon the next day to be ready to eat anything.  Time for a salad detox or something... ;)

Side note:  Jonas gets big "husband points" for letting me choose the in-room movie we watched:  "Les Miserables."  I was horrified to learn that he had never seen the  movie (past versions), seen the play, or even knew the story line!!!  *gasp!*  We fixed that pronto, and yes I cried and sobbed my way through it.  Good times.  :)

*Yawn*

We have never recovered from Daylight Savings.

My kids are on a trend of getting up earlier and earlier.  Today Finn got up at 4:45, and Layla got up at 6:15.

Of course, when Finn gets up that early it's usually because he's itching or something, so he's CRANKY on top of getting up early and losing sleep.

4:45.  Yeesh.  Now, granted, they both "slept through the night."  I do have very, very vivid memories (nightmares, really...) of those infant stages still--because for me they lasted for years.  :)  So, I get it.  It's not quite the same.  But I've learned everything is relative.  What is "tired" now wasn't "tired" then--it was "rested" then.  :)

My kids were asleep in bed by 6:56 p.m. last night.  Awesome, right???  Yes--IF I had gone to bed at that same time, too!!! Alas, I did not.

Live and Learn.  Tonight, bedtime by 8:30 sharp.

*yaaawn*

Avocados

Yesterday Finn ate 2 big avocados during the course of the day.

Today?  Oh, sweet Lord have mercy...his diapers!!!  Filth!  Absolute FILTH!!!!  :)

*gagging over here*

Some pictures from Cinco de Mayo:

Just some randoms:  :)

Mango margarita--Pioneer Woman recipe.  

Taking a crack at the pinata...

I made some baked chicken and spinach flautas.   

And so it begins:

Finn was crying as I was changing his diaper.  He kept trying to tear the new diaper off and saying he had to go potty.  So, I put him on the toilet--the big one, not a training potty chair--and would you believe it?  The kid pooped and peed.

THAT is the power of having an older sibling, I am convinced.  :)

No, I am NOT going to potty train him immediately--but it's great to see this interest.  He is connecting the dots inside his head, and that's 3/4 of the battle.  :)

L

Monday morning with Henry:

Henry joins us here every Monday morning from 8:30-12:00.  Today is a lovely day, so outside we went!

Spying on the neighbors...

Henry running away with the soccer ball, the ONE toy both boys had to have today.  ;)

Pensive.  

Keeping it far away from Finn.  

Learning the skill that will get me judged by other moms at playgrounds...

Collecting rocks...in her Christmas dress.