Kids Lately

We've been crazy-busy lately with school, after-school activities, PTA and baby business. Not many pics posted lately ~ sorry!

Em playing with Daddy's Mountain Dew


The M&Ms with their favorite sleeping guys.

I Don't Need A Nap

Came into the TV room the other day to find this, who had just a half hour before told me "No, Mom, I'm not tired. I don't need a nap!"

First Day of School for the Big M's 2011

We just finished the first week of school here and the M&Ms had a great one. Both of them took right to it, running off to the playground and left me to lock up the bikes in front of school without a single look back. No crying (by Mommy either) and no drama (other than having to do homework again) so far. :)

This One's For Steff

5 years ago, my dear friend Steff knit a summer sweater for Miss M. Hand-made hand-me-downs are the best! Now Miss Em's a cutie-patootie in her Katya sweater!

Big Girl Bath Time

Miss Em had her fist big girl bath in the tub recently and loved it.

What's all this bubbly stuff, Mom? Em spent the first several minutes trying to figure out what she was sitting in...


But then she decided "I like it!"


Big brother and big sister couldn't resist and just had to be in there with her.

Surprise, Mommy!

Laid Miss Em down on her play mats this afternoon (Yes, we have two and we love them. Thank you, Teena!) and five minutes later, came in to check on her. Guess who sat herself up?!? She was QUITE pleased with herself.

Summer's Here!

Seems like the kids have a swimsuit on every day for one reason or another lately... this was just before we went to Jonas's house for a swim date in his teeny patio pool (which the kids loved!).





Give me a kiss, Miss M!

Why Do We Even Bother...

Sometimes I wonder if we even need toys...we do fine with just the boxes that bring stuff in and out of our house! This time, it was diaper boxes that provided unending entertainment one afternoon at our house last month.

Who could be in there?

Surprise! It's some M & M's!

Don't I have a picture just like this one from 4 years ago?

Also, a rare shot of me with the baby...I'm usually behind the camera!

Baby Love

Miss Em is getting so big! She's starting to reach for things, and is trying to grab everything within reach...including her feet. She's really loving her play mat with everything hanging above her to be grabbed and chewed on. It's been a time full of smiles and baby laughs lately.

Kicking on the play mat

Give me that camera!

Mmmmm...baby toes!

Looks like she's not going to stay blue-eyed...this seems to be the beginning of hazel eyes like her big brother, big sister and dad!

Biker Grrls

Miss M got a bike for her birthday and we've been riding back and forth to Michael's school each day now that she's out of preschool. Yesterday she really got going down a long, straight street and I could hear her hooting and hollering as she went. "OH YEAH! WOO HOO! YEAH BABY! YEE HA!" She was having so much fun!

Also had Miss Em bundled up since it was a little chilly. These are the sunglasses that Jen Payne sent for Miranda 5 years ago, and miraculously they survived to be used on another kid.

Eat. Poop. Read.

This is a onesie that Steff bought Miranda 5 years ago and I laugh every time it catches my eye. And I love this hat. I can't decide if it's more like the hat Madonna wore in the Borderline video or like something Lucille Ball wore but I love it.

Zoo Too

Took the kids to ride the zoo train today (day 3 of 5-day-weekend and needed. to. get. out. of. the. house.) and they talked me into going into the zoo as well to see the animals we didn't see on Day 1 of Spring Break's 5-day weekend. We had a ball!

Waiting for the zoo train

(Ballet class this morning, hence the leotard!)

In front of the zoo entrance

These are the goofy faces I get when I say "Smile!"

Silly faces at lunch before seeing animals.




We went through the South American part of the zoo first, which has some of my favorites.

New basilisk lizard on display. The kids learned all about him on a Wild Kratts episode, and love the fact that he can run on water!


Military macaw


The anteater, the Reid Park Zoo's mascot


Up on a termite mound




The Motmot, my favorite bird at the zoo.


The capybara, who I came to love because of the Bill Peet book, Capyboppy.


The tapir


Gratuitous baby shot


A gibbon, checking us out


Makena, our new female otter right before I told off some dumb-ass mom who thought it was no big deal to throw the otters goldfish crackers because she "just wanted them to come over so her daughter could see them better".


Peacock showing off


The back view is just as beautiful


It was very close to giraffe lunch time, so they were very close to where the people were.




Miranda's elephant, Double Half (don't ask, I can't explain the name) found a friend


Finally got some pictures of the M&Ms with nice smiles instead of grimaces!

New Sheets!

When Miss Em was born, my sister hand made new sheets and a blanket for the crib. They're gorgeous!

Washcloth

Miss Em is starting to put everything she can randomly grab into her mouth. I turned around the other day to find she'd grabbed her washcloth and was gleefully cramming it in! She was so pleased with herself and I had to take a pic.

ET

We had to pull all of Miss M's guys off her bed today to change her sheets, so we set them all up and then sat little Miss Em in them. Miss M just *had* to be a part of it!