Happy Easter!

We had a wonderful time visiting family in Pennsylvania for Easter.  But before I get to some of those pictures, we have special news!  Baby number 4 is a boy!

I love what Meme said "I'm sure he will be a good egg too."

We went to an elective ultrasound studio, because our doctors office will only allow three people in the ultrasound room.  How do we tell one of the kids they can't some?  The ultrasound studio was a good experience for the kids because they were able to get a good look at their brother.  He was kicking and stretching and flexing his muscles.  Carter and Ava watched the ultrasound intently.  It's hard to explain, but Carter made little oohing and ahhing noises.  He was really excited.  

How do the kids feel about a brother?  Well so far, so good.  Before the ultrasound Dawson whispered to me conspiratorially "If it's a boy I will love him a little bit more."  So you can only imagine his happiness.  Carter didn't really seem to have a preference, although he thought it was a girl.  Ava was rooting for a sister, but afterward told me "I really wanted another brother the most.  And I got him!"

We allowed each of the kids to pick out their brother something new.  Carter's lovie has always been blue, so he picked out a blanket.  Dawson found a new angel baby and Ava picked a little stuffie.  It's always fun to see what each child chooses as their favorite lovie.  

Our Weekend

Egg Dyeing Fun!  The kids love to dye Easter Eggs.  It's funny because none of the kids really like eggs, forget scrambled or over easy because they are having none of it.  But they will eat hard boiled eggs.  Which I'm grateful for because eating 12 hard boiled eggs by myself would be pretty gross!

Ava makes awesome two toned eggs!

On Sunday we had our annual cake bake for Cub Scouts.  My Batman cake!  I really didn't put as much time and effort into it this year.  But we got off a little cheaper at the auction!

On Sunday the Palm Sunday Bunny came!  We told the kids the bunny would come on Palm Sunday and they were very excited!  Carter received a new life jacket, and his favorite.....a 2X2 rubiks cube!  

Are you surprised Dawson got legos?  I was telling Mike we easily have spent hundreds of dollars in legos over the course of our parenthood.  He agreed, but said legos get played with on a daily basis and they don't break!  Good point.

Ava's favorite: a new stuffie named Glamour Cat (glam for short)

Now we are all ready for Easter!

Feeling Better! (Crossing fingers)

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I finally think that I'm feeling better.  The overwhelming exhaustion has dissipated, and I can stay up past 8:30 again!  Hooray for the second trimester!

More energy means that this cute little boy and I have been able to get out more in the afternoons.  I just love this picture of him.  He was really testing the limits of his rain boots this particular afternoon.  In a couple of the puddles I was convinced water was going to come up over the top.

A five year old experiment:  he took one of the stones from our walk and put it in water.  He wanted to see what color the water would turn, and then he put it in the freezer.  They LOVE to freeze weird things right now so if you happen to find a cup of rocks, pieces of paper or a stuffed animal in the freezer, it was actually meant to be there.  Although the paper was kind of funny, the kids wanted to write notes for Dad and leave them someplace he would find them.  Together the three of them determined that Dad would find the notes in the freezer first.

Here is what I've learned about child labor:  teach them to do the jobs you hate.  I'm working with Carter on running the vacuum.  This job takes me so long, I really hate doing it.  But he is learning to vacuum in a row and hit all the spots of the carpet, so pretty soon I will be able to turn this job partially over to him!  Ava already polishes the table and chairs with wood cleaner and Dawson can clean toilets.  Of course, they aren't perfect but I don't have to do it!  It's so amazing!    

Ava the surgeon reporting for duty

Dawson got a small scrape at the playground.  It wasn't even bleeding enough to warrant a band-aid, but Ava and Carter decided to operate as soon as they got home.  Ava wrapped up the arm with the small scrape while Daddy helped Carter make a sling for him out of a bandanna.  This bunch LOVES to do first aid!  Hmm, maybe one of them will go into the medical career?  As long as none of them inherit Mommy's problem of fainting when she sees needles!!   

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

My little leprechauns were looking festive on the way to school.

I can't believe Dawson actually wore his green shirt all day long.  Usually he is vehemently opposed to any new article of clothing.  

We celebrated the day with corned beef and vegetables for dinner.  Everybody tried it and mostly everybody liked it!  

Silly Pic!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful Irish Grandma, with a fitting Irish birthday!

Latest and Greatest

Recently Carter and I went to the mother and me bowling event with his school.  We played two games and each of us won a game.  I had to laugh because he was enjoying pizza in between turns bowling, and I think it was making his hands greasy.  He dropped the ball backwards twice!

Haha, the life of a mother.  It's so funny to see these little things and wonder what is going on in their little heads?  Purple baby must have been tired and needed a stale bread pillow.

Dawson and his homemade lego jail

We recently read a Bernstein Bears book about telling the truth.  In it, they call lies "whoppers."  Dawson then told me "Mom, do you know what is the biggest whopper of all?" Then he told me "that Daddy is batman."  Sorry Mike, I guess they are getting too big and smart for you! 

Pie Face

Recently we had Grandma and Bo visit.  We played a new game called pie face, and it was hilarious!  You turn the crank based on whatever number you spin, and randomly it will fling whipped cream in your face.

Dawson thought it was hilarious that Grandma kept getting "pie in the eye."  He has told this story probably a hundred times!

Ava loved getting messy!  She was a sticky mess with whipped cream in her hair.  It was definitely bath night!

Carter on the other hand did not enjoy getting sticky.  He has mentioned many times that he would rather play pie face with a wet sponge instead.  What a hilarious game!

Heard Around the House

Recently I mentioned to one child, who shall remain nameless on the internet, how they were so fast at getting dressed in the morning.  Consistently every day this child is the first one done.  The child then remarked, "Oh, that's because I never change my underwear.  I can get done faster that way."  And off we went to the bedroom to change underwear.

It makes me so happy to see the true joy and excitement from Ava at the thought of a new sibling.  She has gladly filled in every person we come across about our big news.  She told me "I'm telling Mrs. Justice (her teacher) and Jerry (her bus driver) every detail about this new baby.  I love details."  She also wrote in big letters on our driveway in sidewalk chalk: My mom is having a baby.

Another child, who shall also remain nameless, told me that they don't put their socks in the laundry.  Despite having a drawerful of socks, a certain two are favorites, so they just wear them and put them back in the drawer.  That way the are ready to go whenever.  I'm beginning to see we may need to discuss some basic hygiene standards.