Happy Father's Day

Having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act that two people in love can commit. - Bill Cosby

You are one amazing Dad. We love you TONS and TONS!

The band at Sandy Lake and Chuck E Cheese

I am starting to slowly come to life - but that is another post in and of itself.

Benjamin went with band to the annual Sandy Lake Band competition. They picked music a little more advanced than usual for a sixth grade beginning band and... 

They nailed it! I got goosebumps while listening.

 After the performance we played:

 One woman was quite smitten with Cora's hair and talked to me for bit about a show she watched a show that said less than 2% of the world has red hair and some estimate that within a few generations there won't be any more... (no accuracy checks there)

 not tall enough :(

 even though the place was crawling with sixth graders Cora had the place to herself for the kiddie rides. Cute place but the prospect of taking all seven of us would cost waaaaaaaaaay too much for any amount of fun worth the drive out there. We'll stick with six flags

 Look at big brother holding his little sister's hand to the mini coaster

 riding the train (our favorite)

 He didn't want to get off

 Awards time - Rogers was rated 1st division by every single judge !!!

 Not to be biased or anything but man , Is he a good looking kid!!

 These two gangsters were rather grumpy about not getting to go to Sandy lake!

 The next day Dad took Benjamin and Ella to see the Hunger Games, So I took the three littles to Chuck E Cheese. - It felt strange to be out of the house with no other adult help (I've been homebound for three months+ now, and to only have three kids - it felt easy and strange.

 PJ is finally, finally walking 100% of the time. Every single other kiddo of mine walked at some point in their 15th month. Some on the first day some on the last but always in/around that month. Not PJ - he totally could, and would walk here and there but was perfectly content with crawling. He sloooowly transitioned over three months to walking all the time. He HATES falling, I watch 9 month old walkers who just wobble till they fall or walk right into a wall and then get back up again. Not my kids. Timid is the word.

But to finally buy big boy shoes for him was kind of bittersweet. 

babies grow so fast!

Look at those skinny little legs though, he may have been the biggest at birth but he has been my teeny tiny little one compared to all the others, actually in the size clothes that match his age - that has NEVER happened before. (Even though he still breastfeeds all the time!)

 He was so serious on every ride it was hard to know if he was having fun or not until you tried to take him off then he threw a fit! (Cora here was actually not having fun - she liked chilling on the Barney truck - nice and calm)

Maiya and PJ are tight. She always goes to him when she gets home. Gives him piggy back rides all the time and doesn't understand why he can't hang out in the front yard with just her. Its so sweet.

6-inch ribbon curls honey

Merry Christmas !!!

 We played, we puzzled, we ate, we made GINORMOUS messes, we watched elf, we fielded mean comments on the blog on Christmas eve (seriously you have nothing better to do?), We cooked, we didn't clean, we stayed up late and got up early, then stayed up late and slept in late, We've been to Amazing Jakes for almost 8 hours (our gift from Nana),  We've read thanks to some Amazing books from Grandma & Tony, We've napped, We've snuggled...

Kyle has off the whole week and we will continue the festivities but right after I take a long scalding hot bath in the middle of the afternoon (because I can.)

 Meg's famous cheeseballs 

 He thinks its so funny to go in there.

 But its better than him messing with these!

 SANTA CAME!!!!!!!

 PJ seriously loves his PEWI from Santa

 Maiya on her bouncy horsey

 Cora with her Baby Brooke - who seems to have no clothes on anymore - how totally appropriate given Cora's distaste for clothes as of late.

 Santa gave us 2012 season passes to Six flags!!! And we can use them for the rest of this year too!

There is really nothing more annoying than trying to sweep up Orbeez I've decided. 

 Benjamin assembled all his Lego stuff rapidly without any help from Dad... Kind of made Dad a bit sad.

PJ crusing on his Pewi to steal everybody else's stocking candy.

Tis the season for band.

Tis the season for performances. Ella performed with the Honor Choir at the local mall and Prosper Country Christmas

Benjamin performed in the Middle School Band's Christmas concert. The middle school band is so big they perform at the high school and they have to split into two bands with two different performances.

 see him back there?

 Ella made those iced sugar cookies completely from scratch. I'm talking royal icing from SCRATCH and I did not help AT ALL. Like I wasn't even in the kitchen. 

Letting your little ones help in the kitchen pays dividends folks!

 Though Kyle says I need to make Benjamin help more. He says the 11 year old boys have to cook their own food on campouts and watching them all struggle to dice potatoes was pretty hard. You don't really saw back and forth to chop potatoes.

 A man that can rock a baby to sleep and then holds him through the game because he enjoys the warm baby cuddles.... that man is a keeper.

and with a beard.. seriously, seriously sexy.

Like I need him to give me more babies sexy.

(confession here... I LOVE the song 5 o'clock in the morning.** And the older kids get the gist of the song so I  totally wig them out by singing it to Kyle.

 like screaming "MOOOMMMMM.. eww. gross")

cracks.

me.

up.

its good to know your parents are madly in love.

This song wigs them out too: Gimme some lovin.

** standard MTV fare not really safe for kids.