Read-a-thon

The girls have started their Read-a-thon this weekend.

They are every excited!

Madi already reads so much...she is ready to rack up the minutes!!!!

And the best part...Madi and Cassi are getting along for short periods in the day...while they are reading with each other.

It's great!

Swimmin' at the Y

Today we told this kids that if they got all their chores done...and if they were good, then we would do something really fun later on.

Well, we did our chores...(which by the way is something we have started and is TOTALLY working here at our house! I am very excited about it! Today was their first payday! Yippee for a clean house!)

And we told them we were heading to the Y.

These kids love swimming!

So it was the perfect reward for them!

Porter has NO FEAR of water.

I knew he loved water...but we haven't really been in a pool since he has been mobile...

Oh my goodness...his face was in and out of the water and he had no care at all!

It will be a fun, and very challenging, summer at the pool with this little guy!

Elsie Rose is a water baby...

She stayed clear form the fountains and splashes...

But she stayed in her own little corner pretending she was a fish.

Her poor knees and feet are scuffed from the pool floor...they aren't bad, and I am sure they will heal fast!

She was a very happy fishy!

These other two were busy the whole time swimming then to the slide, then back swimming...

These two have always been water babies!

They obviously got it from their Dad.

Both Madi and Cassi can swim better than I can.

If you think I am kidding, I am not!

Well, when I went to get my camera for pictures I realized I forgot my camera card...so I dug around my backpack hoping for a spare card...

I got lucky and found a 64 MB card.

Only bad thing, that only takes about 2 pictures with my camera.

So I had to change the settings on my camera so it was a lesser quality...

So I was able to shoot 8.

That was enough...

Good thing...

So when I came home and put the pictures on the computer...I found some hidden treasures on the spare card...

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This is Madi Bell, she had just turned 4 and she was dressed up as Snow White for Halloween!

How stinkin' cute is that!!!

PORTER!!!!

I am yelling in that title...if you couldn't tell.

Oh this boy...this boy, this boy, this boy!!!

Can you tell that this is not all that uncommon to have him on the table by how Madi and Cassi don't even look up from their stuff...

Kinda funny, right?

Chairs and tables are his new FAVORITE thing!

I, on the other hand...want to get rid of EVERY table and chair in our house!

Oh well, I guess it is a good thing he is cute...

Wish me luck.

Bowling a 95!!!

Elsie got the high score today during her school field trip to the bowling alley!

Not too shabby, right?

Oh my goodness, Elsie had so much fun today.

Kinda a fun idea for preschool to go...but thankfully there are so many parents that are willing to come and help.

All the kiddos have matching t-shirts to wear when they go one their field trips...usually I forget...this time I remembered...

I am thinking of trying to tailor it to be a cuter fit...or should I just leave it alone...?

That little ramp thing made things a lot easier for all involved!

Happy bowler!

Being goofy between turns!

Look at those cute little tiny bowling shoes!

Yay Elsie!

Then they had a little snack before we got back on the bus to head home.

Lots and lots of fun!

Again, I am SO THANKFUL for Elsie's preschool and all the wonderful things they do for her there!

My sweet baby girl...

I know she isn't much of a baby anymore...

But she will always be my baby girl.

Elsie has had a rough few weeks.

About midway through the week we were gone she started to fall a lot.

At school they thought maybe her foot braces were getting too tight on her.

So when we got back we went the weekend without putting the braces on...and Monday at school without them.

But it didn't seem to change.

And she has been falling hard.

She has bruises on her knees and ankles....

Normally when she is sick, or the weather is really cold, her muscles will get tighter and make it a little harder for her to walk...but this time looked different.

So when Katie came over (Elsie's Physical Therapist), we sat and watched Elsie walk back and forth and back and forth trying to figure out what is going on different to make her fall so much.

We did notice that one thigh tighter than the other and it seemed that when she lifted the leg with the looser thigh, it would pull the other leg, thigh, forward bending her knee and causing her to fall.

I don't know.

Katie says that we will just keep an eye out and really stretch her good for the next couple weeks and see how things are then and go from there.

I just hate to see her get so frustrated and I can't help her out.

Then the other day we went to her eye appointment and found that her right eye is weaker than her left eye...so they said we could do a patch over the eye or try these eye drops that dilate the eye.

I didn't think she would leave the patch on, so we are trying the eye drops.

The theory is that if you make the good eye blurry and dilated, it will make the not so good eye work harder.

So this is how Elsie will look for the next few months!

It is a pretty common thing to happen, and it doesn't seem to bother her, so that is good!

But on a good note...

Elsie's speech has really been improving in the last few weeks.

I know I can understand her better...I am not sure about you outsiders...but I can get most of what she says now.

Unless she is upset...we are still working on communication that way!

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These pictures are from last night...the last two nights she has crawled out of bed and laid at the top of the stairs and gone to sleep....
How can that be comfortable?
Silly goose!

So I take her back to bed...tuck her into her Emmy blanket, and lay her picture of Stripp next to her. She sleeps with that thing every night! She talks about that horse every day and we can't wait until the next time we get to see her!

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Oh we just LOVE this little Angel baby and the light she brings into every ones life! Keep her in your prayers that her little body can stay strong!

A week of fun with Aunt Emmy!!!

Before Emily left I copied her pictures from her camera so I could document the things that went on here while we were gone!

I think it is safe to say they had a great time!

Emily said that they made a clubhouse and tried to block the entrance with the trucks...well, nothing keeps that little guy out!

My sweet little naughty boy!

Well, I think he ate good while we were gone!

Cassi helped Emmy make cookies one day.
Cassi loves cooking in the REAL kitchen.

A sweet shot of Elsie and Cass

The girls were excited to tell us about the rainbow they saw.

Another messy messy boy picture!

Okay...when I was giving instructions about doing the girls hair to Emily, I told her she wasn't allowed to do weird funny hairdos.

I know I am mean..but seriously...Madi always wants a fountain pony tail up front and I tell her it makes her look like a two year old.

Anyway, when I got home they were excited to tease me about going to school like this.

But I know they didn't, cause there is NO WAY Madi would go in public with her hair like this!!!

But I don't doubt that Cassi would go out like this!

She is such a silly goose.

Emily stuck a nail file down the braid to make it stand up!

Brent likes to teach knots to the girls...

One night Madi made a pretzel knot without even trying...and she wanted to make sure we saw it, so Em shot a picture for us.

I remember calling home that night.

That was the first thing she told us about...very proud little girl.

Sweet little Elsie Rose

Emily and Elsie played Doctor, A LOT!
She loves to play Doctor and Dentist...

I just love this shot of my little boy...

I like to think that he is looking out the window LONGING for his Mama to come home...

But in reality I am sure he was LONGING to play outside with the dog!

A rare quiet moment for Emily.

Emily said that one day while watching her shows she lifted the ottoman and placed it on top of her legs.

Silly girl.

Em said she watched the whole show like that.

Emily said that one night they made this 'House'.

Porter and Elsie are in the playroom.

Cassi is in the library.

And Madi is walking down the hallway.

Nice 'action' shot Madi Bell!

I know it seems goofy, but I knew my girls would LOVE the shower caps from the hotel room, so of course I brought those back as presents for them too.

I was right...they thought they were pretty dang cool!

The next morning after we got home, Cassi made a Hotel room for Elsie. Complete with phonebook and all. Very creative Cassi. I am sure she will LOVE to look at these pictures with her goofy faces when she is older...silly goose!

Em...Thanks again...Thanks a million!!!

Mess maker, mess maker, make me a mess!

I have really been trying my very best to keep our house clean.

It is so nice when the house is clean.

We are all so much happier and more calm!

But sometimes you just can't help but make messes!

Today we decided to make cookies...sugar cookies and frosting...

Lucky for me, most of this mess ended up on Cassi's face and HAIR...and fingers.

But she was a pretty happy camper!

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The of course the boy.

He has really loved to sip out of the big cups lately.

I have to be careful not to let anyone leave their cups at the table or he climbs up on the chair and gets the cup...

And this is usually how it ends up.

Good thing Milk is pretty easy to clean up!
Look at that puddle on the seat....
I don't know...
possible GOT MILK ad?

By the way...it may appear that this boy is ALWAYS naked...

But I do dress him everyday...he just gets so messy, it is easier to strip the clothes off!

700th post!!!

For real!!!

My 700th post!!!

I had thought of doing a give-away...but with our trip and all, I had no real time to prepare something...so lets shoot for the 750th post for a give-away!

My boy is such a character!

He makes us laugh everyday.

Not only is he crazy and gets into everything...but the kid is so serious about everything.

But he does get goofy too!

And when he gets goofy...he is a riot...usually a messy riot...

Like I said...he makes us laugh everyday!

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Who doesn't love a bright orange spaghetti face???

I had to take a picture before I wiped it clean.

He loves the bath...but he is a hard one to get in and get washed and he wants to run all around the bathtub, so he doesn't get much bath time cause I usually get him in and out before we have the bathroom flooded.

Elsie wanted to hug him...but is always a bit wary of him...and his chompers.

He has become quite the biter...I think it started as kisses, but now he knows he gets a reaction from it...

Little turkey!

But Elsie was quick enough to give him a smooch...

Before he went nuts with the washcloth in his mouth, shaking his head back and forth getting us all wet...

Oh, bath time is so much fun!

Cancun Outfits...

The girls wore their dresses to church today....but they also wore sweaters over them to keep them warm.

But I think they still looked cute.

Madi's is pretty big but it works out cause she is pretty tall, and she wouldn't wear it is it was too short......Cassi's is kinda short, but I can see Cassi wearing hers with her pink striped leggings...I think that would be so cute and so her......Elsie's is just right and looks absolutely adorable on her...and just look at that handsome boy!

I wish we would have gotten a shirt for Brent to match Porter...wouldn't that be so cute!

The girls each got bracelets to match their dresses...and I got one for myself to match the girlies.

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And here is just a cute picture of Porter pretending like he is a firetruck...goofy kiddo!!!

I am done with Cancun posts now...but I think I will post some picts that Emily took while she was here...I want the kids to remember those times too when they look at our book (after it has been printed, of course!)