Easter/Birthday

This year Merek's birthday happened to be on Easter. We had a family dinner at Mike's mom's house on Saturday. It was a good time. The weather was nice, and the cousins played outside, we ate good food, and had an Easter egg hunt. I don't have pictures of the egg hunt because my photographer disappeared, but I'll try to get some later.

Merek with his birthday cake.

 For the actual day of Easter/Birthday, two of the boys ate too much candy the night before and got sick, so we took it easy at home.

Corbin made a catapult.

Merek climbed into my bed while I was taking a nap, and took a nap with me after getting chocolate  all over the bed.

Madi playing with the chickens in the chicken coupe

The chicken coupe, or the chicken hotel as the neighbor calls it. It is still being built.

Corbin

Progress?

Mike had been working so hard on the mother-in-law quarters, that is was almost finished except for the floors, and then one night, he decided he wanted to take out this closet. To be honest, I'm glad, but it will take longer to finish it now. We have bought hardwood floors, and will soon start installing them. It will look so nice when it is done!

Top Shot

During Spring break we took the boys shooting. We have been watching Top Shot together, and they were really excited to shoot a real gun.

What a good dad! They boys had so much fun.

Last Snow Fall

Last Tuesday it snowed for the last time this winter, I hope. Corbin and Tyler were at school, but Merek and Rylan went out to play. Here are a few photos of them making snowballs. On Wednesday, it was 65° F

Madilyn

I finally see a trait that is unique to Madilyn, that the boys didn't have. She can sit and go through my diaper bag for over an hour. She will take out each item, look at it, lick it, shake it and then put it aside an pull out the next item. I found she will even open any baggie that she finds that has something inside. She will do this with anything that has an assortment of small items in it. So when I unpack boxes, she sits and goes through everything. When I fold laundry, she sits and unfolds everything I fold. Anytime the diaper bag is on the floor unattended, she empties it. She makes a lot of messes. But it is facinating to me to watch inspect everything she sees.

First Birthday

She is one. I can't believe it has already been a year. We had so much fun for her birthday. A leprechan visited us and colored our milk green, spilled our cereal, a hid some gold coins. The kids really didn't seem to notice that anything was out of the ordinary. 

We had some friends and family over for her party, and we ate corned beef and cabbage, and rainbow cupcakes. One of her presents was a doll that can go in the bathtub. After the party, I gave the boys a bath, and of course the doll went with them.

Now a thought about Madilyn. I can't express how much I love having her as part of our family. I feel so grateful. I had contemplated stopping after having Merek, and I am so glad that I didn't. Her smile brightens my day everyday. Since she now feels comfortable walking, I have noticed that she is really working on her language skills. I have suspected for a while that she was calling my name, but I wasn't sure if it was that or just a noise that she made while following me. Now I am sure, she calls me Anna. She has also started calling Mike Daddy. We are going to have to work on having her say Mommy. I am excited to start hearing other words. Also, she now has one tooth. I am sure that the others will come soon.

Trouble

Madilyn is walking, she is smart, and she is TROUBLE. She is into everything. She prides herself on being able to go up and down the stairs by herself. She refuses to sit in her highchair. Today I gave her a bath, put her in clean clothes and let her play on the floor while I read to the boys. I look up from my book to find Madilyn sitting in a large pile of ashes by the fireplace, playing very happily. She was not too happy when I took her away from the ashes and cleaned her and her pile, and then locked the fireplace doors so that she couldn't open them again. I sure love this girl.