Friday, March 27, 2009

Another trip to the zoo...just a swingin'....rain rain go away....and a few other things






















Pics: Clark, Emma and Kendall each laughing it up with Daddy at the zoo. Outside on the back porch...three pictures. Pictures from our first trip to Brusters for ice cream. The first picture showing up is the "carnage" resulting from three 13+ month olds eating their own kiddie cones with vanilla ice cream. They all didn't seem to think much of the ice cream, but loved the cones. Note for next time - cones ONLY. Much neater, I'm sure. Swinging at the park. Clark (in the swing) was smiling at Emma swinging next to him. The picture of Clark on the back porch with his face against a toy is him getting a real close up of himself in a mirror. Too funny. A little gross when he was spitting on it, but hey, he's a boy. Kendall having a fit in the car. The picture of her in the sunglasses actually came just moments before the screaming. She was mad that I wasn't back there with her - or something like that. Kendall and Emma reading books. And then Ems with her pal, monkey. She was hugging, petting and humming to her monkey. It was too cute.


Once again, I've been a bad blogger-mommy and haven't posted lately. If you know me on Facebook, you know that I just now posted pictures and thought I should probably get some on here too for those who (are smart and) do not Facebook. Side note here: If you haven't been there, STAY AWAY. Run fast and don't look back. Facebook will SUCK YOU IN!!! :) Believe me, you do NOT have the time to Facebook.

Anyway, on to the babies. There have been a few warm and beautifully sunny days here lately and we have tried to get out and take advantage of the weather whenever possible. On Sunday, we went for a walk at a nearby park with Nana and Daddy, did some swinging and sliding and then went for our first ice cream cones (at Brusters - YUMMY!!!). We also made another trip to the zoo this week with Daddy. Again, gorgeous weather and fewer people since the locals were back in school.

Kendall has taken a few steps on her own and is often standing without assistance or the aid of a neighboring prop. It is obvious that she WANTS to be more vertical and loves the new-found freedom of standing and not holding on. It allows her to clap and dance and that is always a good thing. She also has this really cute new tantrum thing she does where she lays on the floor and buries her face into the pillow (or just face-down on the mat) and cries. Nice. She is jabbering away and says something like "all done" when she is finished with a bottle or her meal. She still LOVES to put on sunglasses, though they never last long and she LOVES to be photographed. What a ham!

Emma has taken the most steps so far. She is getting a lot steadier at standing alone and also loves to dance and clap now that she can do so from much higher up. She has also learned to clap with her arms open as wide as they will go. If you try this (standing up), you might notice that this does require some balancing and she is doing great. She's also doing the funny crawl/walk thing where her back legs are straight, but she's crawling. I've heard this is just another part of the learning to walk and balance thing, so I'm expecting her to just stroll across the room on her own any day now. She did take 8 steps (the most I've witnessed so far) to me this evening and I was elated. She still loves to laugh, squeal, scream, sing and hum. She chatters and continues to yell for Daddy with her "DA!!" even when he isn't home.

Clark has started to become more vocal. We've heard some "B" sounds from him (buh buh) and also something that sounds like mama, though it's more "muh muh". He's also a lot chattier and has learned to squeal like his sisters. He can almost compete with Emma in the bathtub with his squealing. It's a small space, so I'm considering providing earplugs to anyone helping out at bath time. :) He is still pretty sturdy standing up, though he isn't letting go very often. He seems much more interested in playing with his sisters and still wants to inflict a little torture by biting or pulling hair (we're working on those issues). He seems to have hit an ornery phase and is proving to be all boy these days. I made have said that before, but this week, I mean it. :)

We are hoping that the rainy weather doesn't stick around too much longer. In fact, we'd be just fine if we woke up tomorrow to dry roads and porches and lots of sunshine. I found a new double stroller that will (hopefully) make getting out and about a little easier, so I'm hoping to give it a try this weekend. We always have our trusty choo choo wagon, but it isn't great for napping, though Kendall has proven that it can be done....see post from Halloween for pictures.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

First trip to the zoo...more pics for Daddy



















OK, so first of all, I have to say "Happy Special Day" to Troy. He's been such a good guy today - sending me a message on Facebook, texting me and having his dad deliver a beautiful hydrangea to me. Very sweet. Thanks and I love you lots!

On to the update and the pictures. I should make sure to explain that the stuff in Clark's nose in the mealtime pictures is food and not boogers. I don't want anyone to freak out.

We have a picture of everyone with Erica who went along with us to the zoo today. Emma and Kendall were pointing at the zebras (our friend's son, B, called them "horses in striped pajamas"). Then we have Clark at dinner being funny and getting food up his nose, stealing food from sissy's tray (his new favorite pasttime seems to be stealing and annoying his sisters - good times). Ems at dinner giving me her cheesiest smile and Clark giving more smiles before the end of dinner. Ems (and Clark) outside enjoying the weather after dinner and she gave me a little smile behind the paci. Then it's on to bathtime and more of Emma's goofy grins and also showing off the three bath rings (just found two at a consignment sale over the weekend and they are WONDERFUL and make bathtime much safer with three little ones!). Kendall was being funny and starting to play peek-a-boo in the tub and then gave us the funny "oops" look with her hand over her face. A flirty Clark (at dinner - sorry out of order). Kendall's cheesiest grin at dinner (again out of order, oops). Kendall and our buddy, Mr. Mike. Ems reading after bathtime. Kendall being silly with our friend, Miss Lisa. Clark trying to escape the "fun" crib (we put them there as a holding pen before and after baths until we can get them all (un)dressed, etc.).

Who's doing what, you ask????
Well, Kendall learned to climb up on the changing table that is in the play zone. Daddy was very efficient and has it braced to the wall, but now she has learned to climb. I'd say it will be coming out of there tomorrow or Thursday. :) We had to remove their cool kiddie slide on Sunday because she learned to climb up the slide onto the platform and fell through the (stupid) hole in the back (why in the heck there is a big hole at the back of the platform???). Mommy saw it happen and it wasn't pretty. So, the slide is now in the garage and will be a supervised outdoor toy. Kendall is still doing her "oooooo" when she sees something that catches her "fancy". It is TOO funny to hear her do that!
Ems...she is still in the process of trying to walk. I think Mike and Lisa would agree that she did take 2 steps tonight to get to Mommy, but I don't have video to prove it. We won't count it as "walking" yet until Daddy gets home. :) She is pointing at everything - books, animals, people, etc. She waves bye-bye to the walkers, bike-riders and cars going past the front window. She's learned a new "cheesy grin" that we all love. And she also does peek-a-boo with her hands over her face (before it was just with a cloth over her face). She is also very good at "reading" books to anyone who will listen.
Clark has learned a few new tricks lately. He loves to pull Emma's hair when he is next to her at mealtime. He also steals food from anyone's tray who might be close enough to reach. Yesterday, Kendall started screaming and I found him hitting her in the head with the plastic cutting board that goes with their kiddie kitchen. She pushed him until he quit, so I was happy to let her work it out. He also has this devilish little grin when I catch him doing these things and tell him "no". Ugh. What a BOY!!!! It's funny, but I can see this becoming a really bad habit - torturing his sisters. He was VERY chatty this evening (no specific words) and was encouraged to squeal like his sisters when they were outside and his voice would echo. This continued into bathtime. Funny stuff.
Gotta get to bed as tomorrow is another day.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Pictures for Daddy










Daddy is traveling for work this week and asked that I post pictures for him to keep up. In an effort to be a good wife and mommy, I am going to try to fulfill his request.
Sorry that the pics are so dark and blurry, but I'm trying to "hit a moving target" so-to-speak and they are hard to photograph once they have seen the camera (and Mommy).
Clark REALLY wants to get the camera lens cap, etc. Kendall too. Emma couldn't have cared less.
I had to post the two pics of Ems riding on her Bounce and Spin Zebra. She has now learned to climb on and off without assistance, though she isn't very steady, so falls are probable. She had her cute little devilish look and then her goofy grin.
Kendall and Clark were on the move to get to Mommy on the other side of the room.
And then They reached my "post" at the other gate and wanted to grin for the camera. It was a little close, but I thought it was cute anyway.
Update for Daddy: No one is walking yet. Everyone misses Daddy. End of the update.