Music Class

Today we started a music class.  The kids had so much FUN!  Even Carter tough guy who said "I hate dancing, I hate music"  has a pretty big smile on his face.

Dancing with Scarves



It's nice to have something to do that everyone enjoys.  Even baby Dawson got in on the action by shaking an egg shaker.  By the way, he is PETRIFIED of parachutes.

Time to go, the kids are ready for a dip in the pool! 

(I know, I lead such a hard life.)

Memorial Day Parade

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank you to all those men and woman who have served or are serving our country.

We celebrated by going to a parade down in West Chester.  It was the perfect size for our little guys and they loved seeing the bands, fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, soldier tanks, horses and so much more!

Waving to the fire trucks.

Here are the kid's enjoying the parade.

It was hot, hot, HOT.  Baby Chubbington does not do well in the heat, so he was one hot sweaty baby by the end of the parade.

Clapping for the soldiers. 

The kids had a wonderful time at the parade and then were able to cool off in a baby pool.  Summer has begun!

Memorial Day Carnival

Today we walked to the little carnival near our house that they do every year on Memorial Day.  The kids had a great time riding the rides and seeing the sights.  Here are some pictures to enjoy!

We were hesitant to put Ava on this ride, but she insisted on going with her brother.   While she had a really serious look on her face the entire time, but cried because she didn't want to get off!

Cotton Candy!

Mommy may have sampled it as well.

Happy Birthday Uncle Patrick

Happy Birthday Uncle Patrick (one day late!)

Hope you had a wonderful birthday yesterday.

Baby Dawson and Wee Wednesday

Do you need some pictures of a sweet little boy?

I've got them!

Delicious little toes

The saw from a baby tool kit, Dawson's teething pain instrument of choice.

Teething has been such a pain for him!  Yesterday he was running a 101 degree temperature all day, fussy, and rubbing at his jaw.  Today he has been chomping on everything.  Hurry up already, teeth!

Sweet, gummy smiles

Precious little boy

Today was a big day for my bunch, we made the trek downtown for Wee Wednesdays at the Cincinnati Art Museum.  The theme was "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  We looked for policeman, farmers, trapeze artists and doctors among the various paintings.  One docent asked the kids what they wanted to be:  Carter an astronaut and Ava a princess.  We enjoyed our time at the museum and the kids were generally well behaved.  No pictures today, it's hard enough to juggle three under three without adding a camera into the mix.

Carter's first Golf Outing

Saturday was a rite of passage for Carter:  he went on his first golf trip with Daddy and cousin Brendan.

He may not have a set of clubs, but Brendan gladly shared with him. 

The highlights were:  running through the sand traps, seeing geese and going to see a man about a horse.  That man with the horse was at almost every hole, from what I hear.

Daddy and Carter

The golf cart, another highlight

Happy Birthday Grandpap Bob!

Happy Birthday to You!

We had a great day yesterday with Grandpap Bob and Meme.

Carter had his first golfing excursion with Daddy and Brendan (more pictures to come.)

Ava was a wild child.  This suprises no one.

Carter loved on Eddie.  Ava did as well, although initially she was petrified.

Riley and Ava

Hope you had a wonderful Birthday!

Jason - The most interesting man in the world

His legend precedes him, the way lightning precedes thunder.

He once had an akward moment, just to see how it feels.

His roundhouse kicks scare Chuck Norris.

He is the most interesting man in the world. 

 Plant life doesn't often grow in the Saharan desert but he thought those rocks needed more greenery.

Most cameras aren't good enough to take his picture, but when he lets them, he doesn't flich.  Ever.

He wears Christmas outfits to Pagan lands.  In July.

He is able to will the buffalo back from extinction, even if there is only one left.

He feels ladders are for climbing.  Mountains are for a casual stroll.

He shoots gigantic tigers just to make them angry for their wrestling match.

He doesn't often diffuse bombs but when he does, only needs minimal protection.

He is Jason Shadle.

*****By the way, the blog was hijacked by Mike.******

Brotherly Love

I love my boys

We are so blessed with the best family in the world.  Aunt Tiff and Uncle Jay made the funniest letters and sent them in the mail for Carter and Avery.  They have been carrying them around all day.  My favorite was the mucinex "green goblin" bad guys trapped in a net.

Carter is a little jealous of all the attention Avery's hair gets on a daily basis.  Cheese roll ups, indeed.

(When my neice Riley starts to feel a little jealous and wants Meme's attention she tells her "cheese roll ups.")

Happy Friday!

Sickies again :(

After a good month of healthy children, the sickies have struck again.  All three have runny noses and coughing.  But, we all know how simple colds affect Carter boy.  He is wheezing and coughing nonstop.  So I decided to take him to the doctor's this morning for some steroids.  Hopefully he will be feeling better soon, instead of playing he has been laying on the floor or couch.

So we are enjoying a lazy day at home.

Mommy and her bebe

My camera is pretty much out every day.  I take pictures of the kids doing funny things, things that I forget about until I look through my camera and remember.  Here I caught Ava crawling around under the table picking up (and eating) scraps off the floor.  Who needs a puppy when you have her around?

This picture was taken a few days ago when he felt better.  This was a collaborative effort between the two kids: half princess castle (see the towers?) and half zoo.  Carter told me "Spiderman be the zookeeper.  He's really Peter Parker in a costume." 

By the way, Ohio, this spring is really not working for me.  I put away their winter coats/long pants and sweatshirts when it was 85 degrees.  Warm up soon.

Video of Chubbington

Here's a video of little Chubbington (sung to the Chuggington theme song.)  He thought that the electronic snot sucker was hilarious!  He couldn't stop giggling, silly boy.

Videos

Carter Boy helping build the Shed

This is what happens when Uncle Jason is in charge of entertaining the kids; chasing a laser pointer like overexcited cats.

Sprinkler Time!

Yesterday we had beautiful weather here, it felt like summer!  With temps in the eighties what is better than a run through the sprinklers?

It was such a relaxing afternoon, the kids played in the sprinkler for quite awhile, then we enjoyed dinner on the patio under our new gazebo.

Who would have ever guessed the moonscape (as Meme calls my backyard) could be so green and lush?

Remember this swimsuit from last year?  Well, it still fits but just barely.  Look at that little toddler tummy!

This has me itching for a pool day.  I can't wait!

Fence!

The Fence is UP!  Hooray!  Carter has been enjoying inspecting every piece of it this afternoon, as you can see by the hot and sweaty boy in the picture.  A little too much bokeh on this shot, but the fence is back there all right.

Tidbits

Carter made me a "water cake" today.  I'm not sure if he has heard his Dad joking about the great water cake disaster of 2005, but he seems to think water cake would be delicious.  In case you were wondering what "water cake" is, I made a cake for Mike's birthday.  We were going camping and it was going to be VERY hot, so I put it in a bag in the cooler surrounded with ice.  The bag did nothing to protect the cake and it became a little.....waterlogged.  But come on, it was cake how bad could it really have been? 

Ok, so it was pretty bad.  moving on......

DO NOT LEAVE BABY UNATTENDED FOR A MINUTE!!!!  Not even to go to the bathroom.  It was actually Dawson's first taste of sweet potatoes and I came back to Ava attempting to feed her brother.  It became sweet potatoes on the floor, chair, and all over her baby brother.

Gotta start them early, right?

I say, as if I'm cool enough to have a tattoo.  We all know that would never happen! 

Brendan's First Communion

Yesterday we spent the day in Sidney celebrating Brendan's First Communion.

What a smart, funny, caring kid he has become!  We are really going to miss him when they leave in July.

We had a picnic at a park.  The girls (and Carter) brought me flowers so I decorated their hair.  Riley was born in Hawaii, after all.  Now she looks like a genuine hula girl.

My godson

Congratulations Brendan!