Dylan 4 years old

This could be one of my favorite pictures of him of all time.  The hands in the pocket.  The blue eyes.  The little comb over.  The trendy miniature jeans.  You just can't beat it!

Heaven help me when this kid grows up.

I will have to fight the girls off with a stick!

I love that color on him!

Classic/cheesy pose.

Again.  I just can't get enough of this dude!

This was his birthday toy that he picked out for himself.  Also notice the cowboy boots.  Which are technically still a size too big.  And falling apart.  But he wears them everywhere.

Yup!  He's my favorite son!

Dylan's 4 year old stats:

37 lbs 3 oz (which, almost unbelievable to me, is approximately 25%)

40 in tall (right at 50%)

He is itching to go to school, which is a shame since he has a whole 'nother year at home with his mama.  He plays with cars and swords all day long.  He is a typical younger brother in that he likes to fight and wrestle, but he also doesn't realize his own strength.  He is a whiny stage, which tends to get on my nerves, so I hope he grows out of it soon.  And he officially no longer feels like my baby boy anymore.  He is a little man, and sometimes it makes me sad.  *Sigh*

Kelsey 15 months

My your child ages quickly!  Yes.  Yes she does.  It seems like she aged 3 months over night.  

Get it? (har har har...)

Kelsey at 15 months.  Standing up by herself.

Now mom!  You know growing up is inevitable, right?

Yes.  But why does it have to be so darn fast?

She had recently discovered her belly button.  So we were trying to get a cute picture of her playing with/looking at it.  We got this instead, which is just as cute, but on a completely different level :)

Right Kelsey?

Right Mom!

Also, between 12 and 15 months, she figured out that she has eyebrows.  She tends to use them accordingly.  And they just make her all the more adorable.

15 Month Stats:

20 lb 3 oz (still right below 25%)

30.25 in (ditto)

By this point she walking.  And talking.  Good gracious is she talking!  She loves the "phone", and carries objects around attached to her ear daily, whether they are a phone or not.  She even had a conversation with her Grandmother the other day where she paused in all the right spots, and responded with sounds.  I wish I had gotten out my video camera :)

Kelsey 1 year

I won't apologize for something I have already apologized for.  I won't say I am sorry that I am pretty bad at getting the professional pictures and stats up.  Because I have.  So I won't.

From here on out, just look at the pictures and say "how cute!"  No matter if the pictures are when my child was 4, and he just turned 17 last week, OK!?!

These are Kelsey's professional 1 year pictures.

As far as I recall, she did really well.

Check out those adorable shoes!!!  And that cute little scrunchy nose!  And those little peek a boo teeth!

I kinda like her more with the bow on, but, I didn't have one that matched the red...

Quick!  Act surprised!

Now act precious!  Atta Girl!

Stats

18 lbs 11 oz (right below 25%)

28 in tall (again, right below 25%)

She wasn't walking yet, but she was crawling and mobile :)

Oldies but Goodies

Thankfully, I haven't yet had a crisis of blogging in which I ponder my point or subject matter.  Most of the time I post about my children, fun things we do, not so fun things that happen, and/or home improvement projects (which are thankfully slowing down).  I figure this is mostly for family who live far away.  This way they can be part of our life and thoughts.  Back up a little bit.  Have I ever told you that my family does a conference call weekly?  It dates back to when my oldest sister Piko left for college, and most Sunday nights, she would call and we would update each other on our lives and what was going on.  Fast forward 15 years and we still do that.  It requires a bit more coordination now as we are in 5 different cities, 2 different continents, and often times 3 different time zones.  One of the things I love about this tradition is that it allows us to talk over each other and comment on each others comments like we were sitting around the dinner table still.  I kinda love it.

Um...  Enter segue here...

My dad writes an email to each of his children once a week.  He tells us a famous some one's birthday, a "this day in history", or maybe some trivia.  A few days ago, my email contained lyrics from Birdhouse in your Soul by They Might Be Giants that caused me to look up the song on youtube.  In the course of looking that song up, I came across these cartoons.

I vividly remember watching Tiny Tunes when these came out.

I guess today I just felt like a touch of mental incapability and nostalgia...

Special Bond

I have said before that Kelsey and Dylan seem to have a pretty special bond.

I didn't realize until I looked at these pictures, that it seems to always involve food.

"You don't want it?  Oh well.  I'll eat it."

And no, I don't know why his hands are in his pants...

More feeding.  More loving :)  

Well, they say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

"So logically speaking, since both babies and men get grumpy at bed time, are hungry all the time, and jealous if someone else takes up mommy's time, can we assume that the way to a baby's heart is through their stomach as well?"

"Now away with you.  Be gone!"

The end.

New Roof

Thanks to the hail storm from a few months back, we got a new roof.  Dylan was pretty excited to watch all the machines that delivered the material as well as the dumpster.

Old roof.  Before.

Partially done.  Ironically, the color on the swatch is clearly more of a brown.  

Maybe it will fade to more chocolate brown over time? We were trying to match the shutters instead of the brick.

I didn't get tons of pictures.  Mostly because, even though I am such a natural blogger, I wasn't 100% that the roofers would appreciate their pictures being taken.

Wouldn't you know it, I don't have a finished product picture.  I'll get right on that.

Sink Bath

Sometimes I wish for simpler times.  When I could bath without shampoo, because I had no hair.

When amusement came so easily to me.

When my every whim and desire was taken care of or taken from me (as the case may be).

Or when changing my mind was totally ok.  Expected even!

Yes, sometimes I think that babies have it made!

But then I remember that I am her mother, and I get to love her, and cuddle her, and squeeze her, and hold her.  And it almost makes everything else worth while :)

Looking for Kaitlyn

Cute video for the day.  No captions necessary.  Enjoy :)

The Great Balloon Fight

What is a birthday party without a balloon fight?

Balloon fight?  Wassdat?

Oh!  I see!  I can do that!

Meanwhile, in the other room...

Um, so this picture scares me a bit (notice Kari's leg).  However, I don't remember poor S hobbling around, so it must not be what it looks like....

Payback's a witch!

Mine!  No, Mine!

Miraculously, Kelsey managed to remain unscathed through it all.

Which, in my mind, really is a miracle.

Don't you think?

Harlee's Birthday Party

Our good friend Harlee turned 5, and was kind enough to invite the kids to her party.  There was cookie decorating.

And, of course, cookie eating.

Did I mention the theme of the party was My Little Ponies?  Check out that fab cake!

There was also a pinata.

And can I just say, that Harlee's daddy is much braver than I am?!?!

I would not get anywhere near children and a stick!

It was a super tough pinata to break.  So the birthday girl eventually decided the game was over...  It was time to break it open for everyone :)

I love that in this picture, Kari is trying to guard her treats (she arrived late from a soccer game and didn't get to decorate her treat bag yet), but she has no idea from which direction the danger truly lies!

Hello!     Ello!     Ello!    Lo!

Then it was time to blow out the candles...

And enjoy some delicious Rainbow Dash cake!  Didn't her mommy do a fabulous job?!?!

Everyone loved it!

Right Kelsey?