Daunika's best friend turns FIVE !

Five years? Wow. Daunika has one very best friend in the whole world... which works out nicely since I happen to adore the whole family! From the very beginning... they have been friends :)

 And we were there to ring  in Josh's every birthday, as they were there for every Daunikas.....

Well.... BRING IT ON YOU FIVE YEAR OLDS!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to see what five brings. I have so enjoyed these 4 years together!

Megan and Joe (Josh's parents) took amazing 5 year old Joshua to Wahooz - a great place for kids, families and generally having fun! We cleared our schedules and tagged along. Besides, what kind of best friends would we be if we didn't join every birthday!?

Josh (and dad Joe) along with Daunika and Damon were thrilled to go hit the Go Karts!

Little kids were of course excited, but I'm thinkin our BIGGEST kids were our husbands. Clearly having fun together!

While our big kids did Go Karts - us mommies headed to play miniature golf!

It was fun, but FREEZING!

And in the freezing weather, what do you do? Ride WATER attractions? Sure. 

I adore these times our families share side by side together. Happy Birthday again dear Joshua, what a wonderful kid you are :)

Moose... you are a MESS

Daunika and Aurora are unusual children. They are VERY clean when they eat. In fact, as young babies, both of them would freak out if the smallest amount of food or water hit them. It was a blessing and a curse all at once. 

Well..... Moose is different. This kid knows how to get into EVERYTHING. 

And its not dangerous stuff..... but wonderful things like a 5 gal bucket of flour. Over and over and over again! 

Furthermore, he is very tall. So tall, he can reach the edge of the kitchen counter tops. So, one day, I decided to quickly go pee alone.... I came back to him painting the kitchen floor with yogurt. Yikes! 

At least he is CUTE right?! 

Until he gets into the oatmeal in the pantry!! 

As he's getting older... He is trying more and more to feed himself. It is fun, and of course, MESSY. 

Goodness. Moose = Mess. 

But, pictures make good ammo for teen years aye?? 

Spring is FUN!

I was talking to Damon on the phone today and we both were commenting on the gloriously beautiful day it was. Talking about how growing up (both of us) in areas where rain, sprinkles, showers, grey skies, some more rain, and a chance of sun seem to be the weather.... 

Here in Idaho, we have really fallen in love with the four seasons. The winter seems long enough and certainly cold enough to make your body just NEED to feel the sunshine when it arrives. That fabulous moment, when you step out into the sun, squint your eyes, and just breathe deep because it feels perfect to have sunshine. And of course by the end of the 100+ degree days in the summer, you enjoy the end of the sun all the time, and look forward to cooler weather... but thats not here yet this year. Right now, this lovely life of ours, is enjoying the Spring and all its glory. 

Some of the best moments of Spring are the adventures of falling in love with being outside again! It's it nothing short of Amazing. 

April has brought some wonderful moments already!! 

And we figured out that Declan is a "Let me do it!!!" kid. This boy was loving the day Daddy pulled out the lawn mowers to tune up. 

 And Daddy moving on to fix something else did not stop this little man. He was determined to push the mower... though it didn't move, he sure tried!!! 

Not just adventures in the front yard... But we've had some amazing explorations in our back yard too!! 

Daunika and best friend Joshua had an amazing time with their worm. I forget what they named him but it was adorable. 

Josh's younger sister Rosie and our lovely Aurora absolutely were THRILLED to have found a centipeed

 And well... Declan just plain explored anything he could crawl to in the back yard!

There has been plenty of running barefoot outside already! (and yes, that big beautiful suburban is ours.. but that story is for a whole other blog!)

And today was just too sunny to sit and do nothing... so me and the kids packed into the car and headed to pick out some lovely flowers to pretty up our front door with some simple planters! 

I am happy to report, I was too involved to take pictures until they were planted and by my front door. The kids were THRILLED to play in the dirt, to pick out flowers in any color they wanted, and to marvel at their work when they were all done. 

Ahhhhh..... Happiness. I hope everyone else enjoyed some sunshine today!!!! 

March is gone already?

Ya know, I could talk about stresses sometimes, but why? I have the best life in the world. I get to spend my entire life with wonderful people, great children, a charming husband and so much more! March was a pretty eventful month for us! 

Our little man turned One in March and he really is getting older and older every day. He is so thrilled to be able to climb on top of things now... very fun indeed! He has been our only little one to love the kitchen so much from the very beginnings. He is always in there pulling things out of cupboards, pulling out every baggie in the drawer, you name it - he is messin it up. Its quite messy and very cute. 

Yep.... Seriously in love with kitchen gadgets!

March also was a great time for silliness. What is better than silly little girls that got suckers? They were thrilled to have a green and blue tongue!!

New skills were mastered without my help! 

Our amazing, awesome and silly five year old figured out that hand stands and cart wheels are so fun!! 

She is really good at it too!!!

Declan's hair just keeps growing!! It's so cute and I refuse to cut it :) 

We also moved Moose from the kitchen sink to the big bathtub for bath times... Because this kid can splash and it was getting MESSY! 

And, Declan is still playing with the idea of walking...... 

He's quite smitten with himself when he walks too! 

Daunika decided on hot days the sun roof blows lots of air on her and she likes it!

And I captured the FUNNIEST pictures of Daunika and her best friend Joshua on a  nifty swing last week! 

How can you see those brilliant and glorious bliss filled faces and not smile? I know I can't.

Spring

A sense of warmth is tapping at the door; And hope, a feeling out from distant lore – Or so it seems – clears the deep refrain! Emerging youth: a dormant lea awakes. The raging colour, singing loud, partakes In annual birth – spring is born again! A zest anew for nascent life Begins in floral train: Carriage one: a snowdropp thrill; Carriage two: the crocus; Number three, a daffodil – dancing, Drawing focus – as she would, Attention seeker! How I love our spring: The bold and sleeker feel I get, An inner glow, a ring! I’ve paid the winter’s chilly debt, so Now upon the wing! Mark Slaghter

What a week...

Sick kids, sick parents. Whoa. Totally tired looking back at this week........ I'm happy to say, we almost never get sick. Realistically, none of my children have needed antibiotics or medications for illnesses. We have had our occasional head cold and coughs, but this week.... Yuck. Again, no physician needed, but it's beginning to wear on me.

Especially Moose. This poor kid... He has become the amazing velcro child that clings on like glue and stays. I have spent countless hours this week holding, comforting, soothing, nursing, rocking, bouncing, singing, walking the halls. This kid is intense!

Heres what a brief glimpse into my morning looked like!


Ahhh yes.... My dear Moose looks SO happy doesn't he?

 I mean really.... That is such a SAD face. I cannot let him cry, ever. Hence why the pictures are quickly changing....

 Yep, I'm a sucker for this little man. He is pitiful when he's sad and I can't help but snuggle him LOTS

And trust me, he REALLY likes to snuggle.

And in my experience as a mother... Snuggling a sick child leads to beautiful moments like this where you fall in love completely and get intense amnesia that they just were screeching their little heads off at you. 

Ahhh.... Bliss. He's asleep in his bed now. Time to tackle the kitchen and make lunch with my other little helpers :)

Art work, March 2011.

I've been overwhelmed by the amount of coloring projects my dear children create every single day. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE THEM, but at some point, I have about 100 papers on my desk and need to weed out some of them. I hang up many of them, but even still, those need rotated through.... and then it occured to me, I take pictures of everything else, why not try digitalizing their art too? 

And now I can share it ! 

Aurora is barely three, but makes the cutest faces already! She is always so proud of drawing people! 

Oh man, how can you ever stay angry at a 5 year old when you have a sign like this hanging in your kitchen?!

Aurora is going through a "no white" phase. She covers the page COMPLETELY.

I think my kid is ready for spring... this is Daunika and her friends, but the rain comes and she is holding a umbrella. Very cute indeed.

 I'm seeing a theme.... It really is spring.

Art by Daunika, age 5: Josh, Daunika and Aurora playing.

Adult friendship issues are impacting my childs' friendship......... yikes. And to think, I thought I had processed it all with her, but for about 2 weeks, she wrote a billion letters like this to her friend Joshua. Heart breaking. She was trying hard to understand the loss of friendship, but she couldn't really because it didn't have anything to do with her. Poor kid.

Very detailed coloring by Daunika :)

Aurora playing with coloring our family pictures. Very sweet.

Aurora art, age 3: "This one is ME!"