Seriously

For those of you who say to me "How do you keep them dressed so cute all the time?" Well here it is....

This is how they really look about 95% of the time. My big bunch of rag-a-muffins!

Hula Mula

Here's Brinlee in her new Hula Mula shirt and Baby Legs warmers. They each got to choose one pair of Baby Legs at the sample sale. They were SO CHEAP!!!

Mini Sing

We had a very interesting sing today. The kids were a little rowdy and not really paying too much attention. I managed to get a little video. Tatum decided that she was going to join in today and actually did pretty well.

DANG MINI SCHOOL! Why can't they just make one tiny exception?! Why can't they follow all the other schools in the district and have the age cut-off be Sept. 1?! UGH.....

Notice the ensemble she put together herself???

Now notice the "leg warmers" have become "arm warmers".

She decided that she needed to change it up.... in the middle of one of the songs, no less.

Roxelle LOVES to go and watch all the commotion

Hula Mula

Roxelle, in the Hula Mula outfit I bought last night at the sample sale. LOVE IT!! (I got Tatum one just like it =D)

Roxelle

This evening I got to go to an early peek at the Knuckleheads sample sale! My friend, Melissa, that lives here in Vancouver is the designer of this darling clothing line. She also has a girls line called Hula Mula. Such celebs as Angelina Jolie, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Kevin Costner (to name only a few) have been spotted in mags and by paparazzi with their little boys wearing her stuff. It's crazy! She is absolutely inspired!!!

Mariah

Mariah got to do a report on China and then participate in a cultural parade with 3rd graders from all over SW Washington, including Longview! The parade was held this morning at Fort Vancouver. It was really neat to go on base. I had no idea that all of that stuff was right there only a few miles from our house. She worked really hard on her board and is very pleased with the outcome. Great job, sis!

7 months old

It was actually a few days ago, but we've been so crazy busy with life that I didn't even realize that I didn't take any pics of her on the 17th.

She is sitting really well now and scoots on her tummy. Mostly backward, but I will put her on the floor with some toys and come back a minute later and she has backed herself away from all of them and is squealing at them like she wants them to come to her. Which reminds me that she has also found her voice. She loves to shriek and squeal, especially at her sisters. And it's usually at a very in-opportune time, like during the sacrament prayer at church.

Will and Roxelle Jammin'

I was watching Will play Guitar Hero on Wii and I looked down to see Roxelle mimicking the "strum" movement. She is starting into that phase of mimicking things that we or the other girls do. Such a fun stage!

btw...

It turns out that I am NOT shrinking. At least, not yet. I had a follow up appt with Dr. Fox yesterday and I measured in at my usual 5'4" (and a little bit).

So in Love

I am totally in love with little Roxelle. I was telling my sister, Paula, the other day how weird it is how different and the same your relationships are with each of your kids. You love them all equally, yet there is something different. Roxelle has me totally smitten. I could just sit and smell her and listen to her coo for hours. She totally melts me when she grabs the sides of my face and shmooshes her mouth and nose into mine. My favorite is when she nuzzles her tiny little face into my neck and chest and then pulls back to grin at me with her big gummy grin and rosy cheeks. First thing, every morning, I unzip her from her tiny sleep sack and she gives a HUGE stretch and smile. The anticipation of snuggling her into our bed gets me all giddy even when I am dog tired. When she squiggles and squirms into place and relaxes, it feels like my heart is going to burst! I can hardly stop the giggle that is waiting to erupt from inside my chest. I have heard of moms describing nursing a baby as being a "euphoric" experience. I can honestly say that I have NEVER been a big fan of the whole nursing process. I dread it every time I give birth, but something about Roxelle has me completely enamored.

I am actually weaning her right now. I posted on Twitter/Facebook yesterday that I have been feeling a little "blue". I think that might be why. Usually I am excited to close that chapter and have my body back to myself, but this time is different and I don't really know why. Maybe it's because she is the youngest one I've weaned (she'll be 7 months on the 17th). Usually I wean when they give me all the signs that they are losing interest. She does bite me quite often and that's not fun, but the main reason that I am weaning is that she has the same dairy allergy as Tatum and I have tried so hard to not ingest any dairy products, but I am losing the uphill battle. And every time she wakes with a cruddy cough and goopy eyes, I know that it's my fault that she is all snotty and goobery. *SOB* It absolutely breaks my heart to see her like that. These allergies are NO FUN!

Easter Weekend

Saturday was spent up in Rainier at Grandma "E"s house. There was a massive egg hunt that included a special "dairy free" room for Tatum. We had a great time just hanging out with the family.

Then on Sunday morning, the girls got up around 6 and hunted for Easter eggs. They had fun finding them in all the crazy places that the bunny hid them. A couple days ago they were speculating with each other where they would be hidden and Asia said "Wouldn't that be funny if there was one in the light?!" and then he actually hid one there! There's a picture of Daddy retrieving it on the slide show. LOL!
At 7, I got Roxelle up and she was totally dis-oriented! Poor thing didn't know what to think of all the commotion. The Easter Bunny brought her a dolly. It's pretty cute. It is motion sensitive, so it coo's and crawls on hands and knee's when there's movement in it's path.
After church, we went to Woodburn for Easter dinner with the family. Chelsea's mom is in town from Montana and so it was nice to visit with her, as well.
Grandma Jones had staged an egg hunt. She did the living room with "dairy-free" filled eggs for Hannah and Tatum and regular stuff in the family room for the older 3. They had so much fun!

Mini Easter

I got to help with Asia's Easter party at Mini School. It was fun and they did some cute projects, like the little bunny head band she is wearing. Tatum got to do one, too. In fact, she was sitting at the little coloring table and said "Mom. Mom. Mom. Look, Mom" (idk why she always has to say my name a million times, even when I'm sitting right next to her AND acknowledging that she is speaking to me). Anyway, I looked and she had written her name in crayon at the bottom of her picture. OMGsh!!! I didn't teach her that!! I mean, it wasn't the most perfect formation of letters I'd seen and they were a little bit out of order (both T's were first and then a-u-m), but still. I was going to save it and scan it in, but I must've left it on the table. DANG!

As a side note, I am really frustrated with Mini School right now. I had planned to start Tatum there this fall since she will turn 3 in Aug. I like the girls to get 2 years of pre-school in before they start Kindergarten. Anyway, they have a policy that they have to be 3 by July 31st and be completely potty trained. UUUUGH! She's been potty-trained forever AND she only misses the cut-off by 24 days AND (ANNND!) the girl can write her own stinkin' name already!! GRRRRrrrrr! Why don't they follow the school cut-off. Don't they know that she'll be starting Kindergarten in 2 years??? So I did talk to the head gal and she said they hold pretty strict to their policy, but I did get her to say that she could enter if they were low on enrollment. I am crossing every finger and toe.

Mariah's turn

I told Mariah that she could have a turn with Brinlee's new outfit, but I did not realize how short it was going to be! (Mariah and Brinlee are almost the same height).
I took care to NOT delete these ones =D.

Too bad they aren't allowed to wear hats to school...

Justice-fied

*SIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiGGGGHHHHHH*

I took the cutest pics of the girls going to school this morning. Mariah was wearing the Justice brand top that Alexa gave her and her darling black skirt with black leggings and Justice knee-highs and I accidentally DELETED the pics of her.....BOOOOO HOOOOOOOO HOOOOO!!!! I am sick about it, not because of the outfit, though, because she was smiling and looking directly at the camera with her eyes OPEN!! She has the hardest time keeping her eyes open while getting pics taken. UUUUGH! I am so mad at myself.
Here are the ones of Brinlee. She looks very cute, too. Grandma took her into the Justice Outlet in Lincoln City and let her pick out one outfit for her b-day that was a couple weeks ago. This is what she picked..... (def. not my first choice, but I am learning that each of my girls has their own taste).
I managed to not delete the pic I took of Mariah walking out the door. Green Converse with polka dot knee highs?! Well, she definitely has her own taste, too. =D

Man, I'd kill to rock some over-the-knee socks!

Formal Day and PJ Day

I got busy with the beach and forgot to post these pictures.

This is what you get with a "mis-fire" on a dead battery. The camera gave me just enough juice to grab one shot and I accidentally pressed the button too soon. BOO!


Not a great couple of days for pics...Will took this one. LOL

Gotta love Hannah Montana.

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