Ummmmm.... February just went by. I think it went that way

W drawing while looking at stuff outside

Pony wars start up again.  T and W did this in memory of Papa doing it to W one day.  They thought it was so funny

I am remembering now how I didn't really get stuff done until the oldest were around 3.  And I remember now why that was.  constant non stop cuteness on the move.

But before some of the adventures.  E talks so well.  It still continues to amaze me.   Here are a tiny few of the phrases he says repeatedly.  "arriba!  abajo!". "good morning". "no more donuts". All in context.

T loves to change E's diaper.  Wants to do all diaper changes.  And now E has started saying "Thank you Tucky!"

E loves songs.  He really likes the 5 little monkeys.  The CD we have has a version of it that says 1 little mommy jumping on the bed.... no more mommys jumping on the bed.  E loves to say no more mommys jumping on the bed.  At random.

His favorite songs also include ABC and Brother John.  I often hear him singing those phrases.

He points out what he sees around town.  He likes to point out tractors, bus (school) and city bus.  He actually says city bus and tractors.

All this cuteness involves constant attention.  He is getting more maniac as we speak.  I think I have days left of crib time.  I can tell he is physically strong enough and tall enough to crawl out.  I think the only reason he hasn't done it yet is because he doesn't like sudden movements still.  So suddenly flipping over to get out is a bit much for him.  I make sure he always has socks or footed pjs on when I put him in there.  I think it makes a difference in his bravery.

But he does plenty of other stuff.

He loves chapstick and I am constantly taking away chapstick from him.

He loves to play in the water and goes and turns the sink on after he has pushed the stool over and climbed up on the counter.

He always wants to watch, meaning pulling the bar stool over to whatever I'm cooking to watch.   Wants to stir things in, work the toaster and the blender, open and shut the microwave, and open egg cartons to get eggs out.  The eggs got out all right.  Right on the floor.

I've had my bath poops twice so far with this child.

What kills me is that I am usually right next to him with him doing all this crazy stuff.  It happens so fast!  I can't imagine what could happen with little or no supervision.

One morning I went to wake up little E.  He said "hey!" and pulled the covers over his head again.

He has a spot during scripture time.  He wants to sit on the couch.  With his blanket.  And he can't be helped up.  He has to get up himself.  He cries my spot my spot.if someone takes the spot.  Then he grabs the scriptures and starts flipping the pages.

Around December W put her name on her door to label her room.  A few days later T thought he would put a label on his door.  It is his address.  His address is about 30 numbers long.  E noticed it and points to it saying address.

T and W like to play "bashing buffers".  This means they take the outdoor furniture couch cushions I have stored inside and run, slamming into my legs that has a buffer inside of it.  These cushions are pretty long.  They are the size of a couch cushion, just lighter.  And E does the same thing just like the other kids. 

T and W continue to make up play games left and right.  They buried some treasure (toys of theirs) in the yard and pretended the trailer was the pirate ship with the neighbor boys.

They played pretend primary.  They set up their stuffed animals on top of the lego bin stack as the podium and had them give talks and prayers.  This was shortly after W gave her first talk.  They repeated the talk she gave about moses over and over.   They also told the wild kids to be reverent.

W was pretty nervous about giving her first talk.  She didn't want to at all.  I think the reason was knowing what to say.  T told her not to worry.

A few days later W had the stomach flu for a bit.  I had her in the bathroom sleeping on the floor once she was able to get back to sleep.  T kept checking on her.  When she woke up he went in their.  I asked him why he went in even though she was sick.  He said because he wanted to keep her company.  And she wanted the company!!  Good thing she was done throwing up because there went my quarantine.  It was so cute how he wanted to care for her.

Look!  Summer!  Not really.  It was cold but they insisted it was warm enough to be in short sleeves

It's pics like these that remind me that this is just a crazy time of life.  Look at how many small kids there are in the pic!  But it is just me and my friend Emi with our kids.  It didn't seem hard at all, but lots of fun

Kai looked away that silly.  But we got one of W

E was jumping from step to step and having a blast, but it looks more like he is celebrating the end of church.  I have to agree some days.  Such a workout

T spends hours and hours in this place.  It is where he builds legos

All of them were running up and down this hill.  it was great! 

All three kids at the fountain

T posing for his pic with the daffodils.  This is how he wanted his pic

W with her daffodil pic

They climb even better now.  Tops of playgrounds are the new goal.  Waiting for the broken bone visit

E looking out at the water

E is very very happy to be eating in Papa's lap instead of in a high chair.  He was quite the good little kid in this place

At the park.  E was banished from the hill

Everyone working on planting trees

T pulling Rickie and plants to the spot they needed to be.  He loved the wagon this day

T got a watch for him.  And one for Whitney.  He loves his watch.  It is waterproof.  He also tells me I have plenty of time or don't have time to do various activities.  He submerged it in the bath because it is so waterproof.  It isn't water proof.  But Papa fixed it by putting it in rice so all is good again.

The heater broke.  The fan motor went out again.  Probably.  We use the heater 10 months out of the year.  Gets more use than others.  J figured this out and went to get the park with T.  Then they put it in together.  That was the best thing J could ever do with T.  He was so in heaven working with Papa on fixing something mechanical.  E was very interested too.

T has been making "semi trucks" with mega blocks.  One time E wrecked one of these creations.  I was so proud of T.  Instead of getting mad, he paused and said "that's ok! Good thing I like building!"  That only happened once, but I'm still glad he said that.  The rest of the time he gets really sad or yells or hits E.  The usual.

We have an annual tree planting activity in our church congregation.  When they announced it at church, W got really excited and told me she wanted to go.  I was surprised she remembered it and was glad she wanted to go.  When we got there she chowed down on donuts and then said she was ready to go home, that she didn't want to stay and help.  Hahaha!  I remember now.  At church they had announced that donuts would be served.  It's ok W.  I went for the treats for a lot of years.  T loved the treats and wagon.  He loaded plants and pulled them around on the wagon a bunch!

The other day W was trying to cut something on her plate and started using her spoon because she was having more success.  She exclaimed, "look!  I'm eating like a Thai person!"

We went on a hike during mid winter break.  Kind of like spring break so those of us living under constant clouds can get out and see some sun elsewhere.  But this year the sun has been shining much too much for these plants.  It has been beautiful!  So we had a great time on our hike with Milli.  Good to have fun with friends!

Valentines Day perfect!

This years vday surprised valentines from mommy

E demonstrating the balloon

T looking cute waiting for snack one day

The preschool v day party.  Cake pops and crafts

W helping E with his boots

Heart toast with egg in the middle and strawberries sliced heart wise with flowers from hubby.

A rare E and Papa only moment

The snakes they found and watched awhile

A beach see saw they made

T on see saw

mommy made us take this pic Papa

tons of these purple shelled clams on the beach.  W was ecstatic.  Perfect for vday

It was absolutely beautiful

T playing

The boys

E trying to sleep on the way back to the car

In carseat snack.  Look at those cute legs!

The boys trying to dig out the tire

E stopped looking cute just in time.  But check out that cool tire in the background!

Inflatable bday party.  T and W spent most of their time on this one holding hands on the way down

T was excited to find a truck that looked just like papas

play electric car??!!  It is perfect.  It looks too small for her, just like the real thing

E trying to roll the hula hoop

just a cute pic

T drove her around a bit in this

The fish!  My parents have this at a school near them and T and W loved it when they were his size.

First time E gets a ride from W

Three kids in a car

E was watching the wind move the branches in the tree.  He still loves it, just like when he was a baby

Aunt B craziness.  Happy vday kids!  Their favorite was the balloon that blows up when you hit it.  They used them as pony pillows in the doll house.

The "volcano" craft W and Grandma made together.

What J and I got from T and W for v day

Valentine's celebration was very much anticipated.  W and T were both very excited.  E knew something good was happening.

At the beginning of the week, W picked out which clothes she would be wearing on the day of the party and on the day of Valentines.  She ended up wearing her heart shirt both days.  More on that later.

Learning box preschool was at our house this week.  Perfect!  We got to throw the party.  We had cake pops, made valentines for the moms and dads of each kid and traded valentines to each other.

For the actual valentine's day we had lots of fun with family valentines.  Aunt B's package was a ton of fun.  They liked the hearts I drew for each one of them that I stuck on the mirror.  Thanks for the idea mom.  We had special valentine cake after a day of valentine food.  Heart cut out toast with eggs and strawberries cut so they kind of looked like hearts.  heart cut outs of their sandwhiches for lunch.  A fabulous dinner of fish, clams, mussels, Chinese broccoli and sourdough bread.   Papa cooked and cleaned. 

The best part of the day was BEING WITH PAPA!  We went to the beach.  A friend gave us a recommendation of a beach that gave us the perfect experience.  We had the whole beach to ourselves most of the time.  They took off their shoes, saw the sun, found some snakes, splashed in puddles (E), made a see-saw with Papa and climbed a discarded monster truck tire.  T made sure we got back to the ferry on time.  And even that worked out perfectly.  We had a lovely day together.

I think the most loving thing I heard was when we were prepping the valentines.  I told W to make sure she had one for each one of her friends.  I listed all the children's names and included T.  She looked at me and said.  "T is better than a friend.  He is a brother"

A few days later, though, when T was trying to get her to wrestle, she said "boys don't play the same as girls.  I don't like how they play and that is why I am frustrated that I only have brothers".  Hopefully they will make it up to her and marry great wives that can be sisters to her later.

The week before valentines week we all took turns being sick and Papa was dealing with jet lag again, so it was staying at home lots.  W and T took turns not being able to go to preschool.

I am having a hard time keeping up with all the cute stuff they say.  Every day there is at least one one-liner from E and T.  Sometimes W, too.  W always has something else she has drawn that makes me wonder at her ability to notice something else around her. Here are some I remember.

W was looking sad about something to me.  So I asked her what was wrong.  Then she made a grumpy face for sure and said "NOTHING!  THIS IS MY REGULAR FACE!"

E can repeat many words and actions now.  Even more than before.  But he also has the ability to grasp fantasy play, jokes, remembers titles to books, and sings songs.  This is very unique to him. 

I can tell he is getting the concept of fantasy play and jokes because he will do things without a sibling doing it right in front of him.  I can tell he is making the connection on his own and communicating it back to us.  He will start saying "banana!" just like the minion movie when we eat a banana for breakfast. 

His favorite songs he sings are This Old Man, Brother John, I Am A Child of God, and Jesus wants me for a sunbeam.  Today was the first day I knew he knew that song.  He came home singing a few phrases with the right tune. 

He only likes new words at the moment.  Grandma tried to get him to say goat cheese, but he had already mastered that, so he wasn't too interested in saying it againfor her.

He has a key word of most of his favorite books memorized and will ask for it by name.  Tons of trucks is his current one, but he is a major fan of Thomas (yeah!!  he'll like lots of the toys around here!!) and the four dogs in a truck book.  Amelia Bedilia is ok.  probably too much talking to words ratio, but the story is ok.

He says silly mama! often to me.  Or silly owl!  He loves to cook.  He loves toy cars.  He is also a huge fan of markers.  And he can climb.  I'm feeling very busy and at my max right now!!

T's one liners and connections often have to do with Legos.  He sings while he takes apart and rebuilds his legos for a good part of the day.  About the same amount of time W spends on art.  I can tell he is making more building things connections at the moment.

W made a tower out of some boxes we have.  T asked where the chimney was.  W informed him there are not chimneys on top of tall city buildings.  T pointed out to her that they must not have any heaters then.  We consulted papa.  Papa said they do have chimneys on top.  T finally decided that he could put the chimney on W's box sky scraper by putting the chimney inside a box instead of stacking it on the box. So it is there but not visible to the "penguin" on the ground.  Just like we can't see them from the ground.  Wow!  There you have it.